Before satellite technology was used to help disaster recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast Region of the United States, it came into play in helping China’s Shenyang Water Conservancy Bureau respond to flooding caused by torrential rains in the Liaoning Province last month. Weida Communications Inc. supplied the satellite communications network used in China’s efforts.

“Weida had earlier provided the Shenyang Water Conservancy Bureau with its emergency communications systems and these were used to coordinate the recent efforts to battle the flood,” Weida COO Chris Lennon told Satellite News.

Specifically, Lennon said Weida’s mobile stations are set up where the flooding occurred. “We can have everything up and running in 20 minutes, once the equipment gets there,” Lennon said.

Recovery workers in China used the stations to maintain voice, video and data links to government offices in Beijing, allowing the government to send real time instructions to recovery workers.

“They also use it to provide information to television stations, allowing information to be broadcast around the country.”

Lennon said this recent flood recovery assistance is just an example of how China relies on satellite communications to help respond to emergencies.

“There are a number of natural disasters that occur in China on a regular basis, anything from coal mining accidents to floods to earthquakes to mudslides,” Lennon said. “You name it, it happens over there.”

With disasters occurring on a frequent basis, agencies in many of China’s provinces are purchasing satellite equipment to help in the recovery following the event.

–Gregory Twachtman

(Chris Lennon, Weida, 215/262-6660)