Improving Resiliency of Vital Services in Flood-Affected Regions of Bangladesh Using Next-Generation Opportunistic DTN Edge Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

Opportunistic routing architectures offer a resilient communication paradigm in environments where conventional networks fail due to disrupted infrastructure, dynamic node mobility, and intermittent connectivity conditions that commonly arise during large-scale disasters. In Bangladesh, recurring floods severely hinder communication systems, isolating affected populations and obstructing emergency response efforts. To address these challenges, there is a growing demand for intelligent and adaptive routing solutions capable of sustaining critical communication and services without relying on fixed infrastructure. This research presents AZIZA (Adaptive Zone-based Intelligent Fully Distributed Trust-Aware Routing Protocol), a next-generation opportunistic protocol designed to improve the resiliency of critical communication and services in disaster-prone and flood-affected regions. AZIZA supports adaptive data delivery for emergency alerts, sensor readings, and inter-zone coordination by integrating (1) zone-based forwarding to optimize localized transmission, (2) trust-aware logic to bypass uncooperative or malicious nodes, and (3) context-driven decision-making based on trust metrics, residual energy, and historical delivery patterns. AZIZA operates over lightweight, infrastructure-less edge ad hoc networks comprising mobile phones, UAVs, and ground vehicles acting as decentralized service relays. Simulation results using The Opportunistic Network Environment (ONE) Simulator configured with real-world mobility traces and flood data from Bangladesh demonstrate that AZIZA significantly outperforms benchmark approaches in delivery reliability, energy efficiency, and routing resilience. As a scalable and deployable framework, AZIZA advances the use of next-generation opportunistic routing in environments where traditional systems routinely collapse.