A Study On The Role Of Mobile Adhoc Networks (MANETS) In Disaster Management

Abstract

A Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) is defined as a collection of two or more nodes connected with each other through some kind of wireless communications and networking capability that enables them to communicate with each other without the need of any centralized server. This enables the wireless nodes to dynamically form a network to exchange information without using any existing fixed network infrastructure. It is an autonomous system in which mobile hosts connected by wireless links are free to be dynamically behaving as either the nodes or act as routers at the same time. The main advantages of MANET are robustness, flexibility and mobility. In this paper, we explore these advantages of MANET for disaster management. Whenever a disaster occurs, the major problem that hampers the relief operation is lack of communication as most of the times the communication networks in the disaster affected areas are damaged partially or fully. The MANET being a kind of on demand network, comes as a rescue for the damaged networks and can be of tremendous use in disaster management.