Timely, accurate, and reliable data on population movements, displacement trends, and projected returns are critical for effective humanitarian decision-making.
National and international humanitarian actors in Pakistan, such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), already address many information gaps for specific groups, such as for temporarily displaced persons (TDPs).
Photo credit: Abdul Rafay on Unsplash
In response to recurring climate-related shocks in Pakistan, including floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, the Government of Pakistan, led by NDMA, and other stakeholders, including IOM and OCHA, produce information products to support humanitarian response and risk monitoring.
While systems exist to track hazards and infrastructure damage, near real-time data on climate or disaster-related population movements remains limited, with static census data unable to capture large-scale displacement during crises such as the 2022 floods and prolonged droughts.
Photo credit: Jamal Dawoodpoto on Unsplash
A key challenge exists: understanding movements and population distribution in a more dynamic way, near real-time, across the country.
The opportunity
Mobile network data and specifically call detail records, generated automatically and continuously by operators for billing purposes, present a unique opportunity to complement existing systems and improve strategic and operational planning at the national level.
In Pakistan, we are collaborating with Telenor, a major commercial telecommunications provider, and have already undertaken extensive joint preparatory work to enable the development of a more sustainable data pipeline.
Additionally, with advances in data automation, we can now deliver timely, high-quality analytics at a speed not previously feasible, enabling faster response planning and improved resource allocation.
Photo: Daniel Power (Flowminder), Sana Abdul Samad (Telenor), and Linus Bengtsson (Flowminder)
Solution
To address these challenges, we are collaborating with NDMA, IOM, OCHA, and Telenor Pakistan to integrate mobile operator data into humanitarian analysis and planning.
By bringing together NDMA’s institutional coordination role, IOM/OCHA’s field presence and analytical frameworks, and our technological capabilities and use of mobile phone operator data, this initiative represents a significant step forward in Pakistan’s ability to anticipate, monitor, and respond to both sudden and slow-onset displacement.
Photo: Linus Bengtsson (Flowminder), Sebastiaan Boonstra (IOM) and Mir Nauman Tahir (OCHA)
The integration of privacy-safe mobile data with existing humanitarian datasets will not only enhance response speed and targeting but also strengthen the overall resilience of communities vulnerable to climate-related shocks.
Our objective
Strengthening the institutional and technical capacities of NDMA, PDMAs, and other humanitarian actors to integrate real-time and predictive mobility insights derived from mobile network data into disaster preparedness, response, and recovery plans.
This project aims to enhance the capacity of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other partners to utilise estimates and insights derived from mobile network data for disaster preparedness and response.
By establishing a more sustainable and semi-automated data pipeline with Telenor Pakistan, we aim to deliver high-quality, regularly updated insights on population movements to improve NDMA’s preparedness planning and emergency response.
Through targeted training and institutional support, we will strengthen NDMA, IOM and OCHA’s technical ability to analyse, interpret, and use displacement and internal mobility data across all phases of disaster management, including preparedness, response and long-term recovery.
Example | Estimated displacements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab (01 - 07 September 2025)
This map captures the peak intensity of displacement during the 2025 floods, with mobility patterns indicating widespread flooding impacts in Punjab while displacement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa began to decline.
IOM and OCHA will play a central role in operationalising the use of these data by integrating mobility insights into joint information products.
These products will incorporate mobile data-derived displacement indicators, coupled with localised needs assessment data, enabling humanitarian stakeholders to access more timely, granular, and actionable analysis.
This integration will ensure that our mobile data-derived estimates are complemented with subnational, district-level insights from IOM and OCHA’s field-based data collection and coordination systems.
Focus on capacity strengthening
As mobile operator data has not yet been used operationally for disaster management in Pakistan, the project will place strong emphasis on institutional capacity building. NDMA, PDMAs, and key humanitarian partners will be trained to:
- Understand the potential and limitations of insights derived from mobile data;
- Interpret the outputs accurately and responsibly; and
- Co-develop actionable, context-sensitive information products tailored to operational needs.