Telecommunications to save lives when disasters strike

Geneva, 13 December 2007 — The Global Forum on ‘Effective Use of Telecommunications/ICT for Disaster Management: Saving Lives’ closed yesterday, having launched two important initiatives, the ITU Framework for Cooperation in Emergencies and the ITU Network of Volunteers for Emergency Telecommunications. Two new publications on emergency telecommunications were also issued.

Opinion  April 09,2008

Disasters disrupt economies, severely weaken the poor and vulnerable and are recognized as major impediments to sustainable development and reduction of poverty especially in least developed countries. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the impact is even worse for those living in remote and isolated areas with no access to basic information and communication facilities that are essential to providing vital alerting information.

Thus, the development arm of the ITU considers emergency telecommunications an integral part of its projects integrating telecommunications/information and communication technology in disaster predication, detection, and alerting. "Emergency Telecommunications play a critical role in the immediate aftermath of disasters by ensuring timely flow of vital information which is much needed by government agencies, and other humanitarian actors that are involved in rescue operations and providing medical assistance to the injured," the ITU website declares.

In 1998, the ITU led the crafting of the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, that was unanimously adopted by delegates of the 78 countries that attended the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency Telecommunications (ICET-98) in Tampere, Finland. The Convention came into force in January 2005, following the ratification by 30 countries.

The Tampere Convention calls on States to facilitate the provision of prompt telecommunication assistance to mitigate the impact of a disaster, and covers both the installation and operation of reliable, flexible telecommunication services. Regulatory barriers that impede the use of telecommunication resources for disasters are waived. These barriers include the licensing requirements to use allocated frequencies, restrictions on the import of telecommunication equipment, as well as limitations on the movement of humanitarian teams.

Until now, the trans-border use of telecommunication equipment by humanitarian organizations was often impeded by regulatory barriers that make it extremely difficult to import and rapidly deploy telecommunications equipment for emergency without prior consent of the local authorities. The treaty simplifies the use of life-saving telecommunication equipment.

For more information, go to Catanduanes Tribune at  http://www.catanduanestribune.com/Apr-09-2008/Opinion/EditorialPage/Detail.aspx?newsID=4001

The International Telecommunication Union along with the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) organized a three-day Forum 26-28 September on Using ICT for Effective Disaster Management. The meeting at Ochos Rios, Jamaica adopted a road map for better coordination in the use of state-of-the-art information and communication technologies (ICT) aimed at improved disaster preparedness and mitigation. This includes:

Speaking at the opening session of the Forum, Mr Philip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy & Commerce of Jamaica, reiterated that the Caribbean countries are among the most vulnerable areas in the world to tropical cyclonic events. "Following the 2004 Ivan hurricane disaster and Emily in 2005 it became evident that the lack of communications was one of the significant weaknesses of the regional disaster management framework," Mr Paulwell said. "Both intra-agency communications as well as public information have been identified as requiring improvement." He added that we should "move forward through the creation of an effective process for the development of early-warning information using ICT and media broadcast technologies, develop a publicly accessible website containing real-time disaster monitoring information, and implement a regional database of survey results and findings for selected disaster events to support the project’s engagement with policy-makers."

The three-day forum focused on improving early-warning communication and disaster preparedness in the Caribbean region, developed practical tools to augment national disaster management strategies and initiatives, built effective relationships among national and regional stakeholders in effective disaster management and mitigation, assessed the impact of recent disasters and discussed the role of ICTs in disaster risk prevention, preparedness, relief and reconstruction.

Still reeling from the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, the most active and destructive in history, experts in the Caribbean region decided to look the storms in the eye and prepare for future disasters. In 2005, a record number of 27 storms and as many as 13 hurricanes pounded the vulnerable Caribbean coastline. These included Hurricane Wilma, the most intense in recorded history, and Katrina, the most destructive with an estimated USD 50 billion in insured damage.

Access to information is of paramount importance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster for relief agencies to coordinate search-and-rescue, medical intervention and rehabilitation efforts. There is an urgent need to establish effective and comprehensive communication links between the affected area, national disaster response facilities, and with the larger international community. This is particularly important for countries with fragile economies and countries with special needs, such as least developed countries and Small Island Developing States.

More information on ITU's press releases website at http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2006/18.html

Manager of the Nevis Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Lester Blackett and Nevis Island Administration Director of Information & Public Information Officer with the Nevis Disaster Management Committee, Huey Sargeant are attending a three-day Forum entitled 'Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for effective Disaster Management'. 

The 2005 hurricane season wreaked havoc in the Caribbean region. Never before had the Atlantic seen 27 tropical storms -- including four in category 5 -- and as many as 15 hurricanes in one season. The storms left a death toll of 2,280 people in their wake, with more than 3 million people displaced and an estimated USD100 billion in economic damage.

In response to a call for action from the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-06) to develop ICT-based solutions to cope with emergency situations, the International Telecommunication Union along with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) is organizing the Caribbean Forum 2006 on Using ICT for Effective Disaster Management. The event, which will be held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Sept. 26-28, 2006, aims at improving early-warning communication and disaster preparedness in the Caribbean region while reducing vulnerability to natural disasters and mitigating their effects through the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT).

The three-day forum will address policy, regulatory and technological issues related to emergency telecommunications and look at practical ways by which ICT can help mitigate disasters.

More information on Public CIO - Folsom,CA,USA at http://www.public-cio.com/newsStory.php?id=2006.08.31-100816