|
ITU's Engagement:
Adaptation and Mitigation |
|
As a core function of its development mission, ITU will assist Member States
in the use of ICT applications for e-environment and sustainable development
and to use telecommunication/ICTs to adapt to and mitigate the effects of
climate change, including the use of emergency telecommunications and alerting
systems for disaster relief.
|
- The World Telecommunication Development Conference 2006 (WTDC-06)
reviewed key technological developments in the information and communication
technology (ICT) sector and adopted, inter alia, Resolution 54 on ICT
applications, including e-environment . In this regard, activities of
Programme 3 of the Doha Action Plan include providing technical cooperation
assistance to ITU member states, developing tools and training material, and
collaborating with partners.
- The
World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07) analyzed the
results of ITU-R studies and proposals of ITU Member States and allocated
additional spectrum for radiocommunication systems involved in climate
monitoring and disaster prediction, detection and relief. WRC-07 also
invited ITU to carry out studies to carry out studies related to further
development of these systems.
- The
World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07) adopted
Resolution 647 (WRC-07) “Spectrum management guidelines for emergency and
disaster relief radiocommunication” requesting the BR to establish a
database of currently available frequencies for use in emergency situations,
which are not limited to those listed in Resolution 646 (WRC-03). This
Resolution also urges administrations to provide the relevant up to date
information concerning their national frequency allocations and spectrum
management practices for emergency and disaster relief radiocommunications
to the BR.
- The
Radiocommunication Assembly 2007 (RA-07) approved
Resolutions
ITU-R 53 and
55 instructing all
ITU-R Study Groups to carry out studies on
the use of radiocommunication in disaster prediction, detection, response,
mitigation and relief.
- Mitigation of the negative effects of climate change is another area
of the Radiocommunication Sector activities. In many cases, when disaster
strikes the “wired” telecommunication infrastructure is significantly or
completely destroyed and only radiocommunication services can be employed
for disaster relief operation (especially radio amateurs and satellite
systems). ITU-R’s Study Groups have developed
Recommendations,
Reports and
Handbooks related to the use of radiocommunications for mitigation of
negative effects of climate change, natural and man-made disasters.
- The ITU-D website on e-environment and e-sustainability , developed
under Programme 3 of the Doha Action Plan (DAP), contains ITU internal and
external relevant resources and links, including resources on topics such as
the use of ICTs for environmental protection and the environmentally safe
disposal of e-Waste.
- ITU-D Programme 3, jointly with UNEP, supports the Global
eSustainability Initiative (GeSI), a global partnership of major players of
the ICT sector that promotes technologies for sustainable development.
- Under Programme 3, an e-Environment scoping study has been commissioned
to guide future work (available in March 2008). The programme of work for
2008-2009 includes developing an e environment toolkit aimed at national
policy-makers.
- Programme 3 provided input to ITU-T’s briefing paper on climate change
as well as to the ITU Symposia on ICTs and Climate Change in Kyoto (15-16
April 2008) and London (17-18 June 2008), jointly with ITU-R.
- Programme 6 provides assistance on disaster communications/emergency
telecommunications to ITU Member States while paying special attention to
the needs of least developed countries and Small Island Developing States
that are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and global
warming. Undertakes studies and deliver assistance in the use of active and
passive space-based sensing systems as they apply to disaster prediction,
detection, monitoring, and mitigation.
ITU-R SG 7
(Science Services) provides ITU-D with the most up to date information
on remote sensing applications and their use at different phases of
disasters.
- Under Programme 6, design National Emergency Telecommunications Plans (NETPs)
and develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on the application and use
of ICT for early warning, response/relief, and reconstruction.
- Programme 6, assist countries in developing National Adaptation
Programmes (NAPs) while ensuring that ICT is at the core of such
initiatives.
- Programme 6, working with other OCHA, WHO, FAO, WFP, UNHCR, etc. under
the United Nations Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications develop
Minimum Operating Procedures for disaster relief and other measures in
response to climate change and disasters.
- Programme 6, carries out infrastructure damage assessments after
disasters and carries out network rehabilitation activities.
- Programme 6 has organized a number of regional and sub-regional
workshops on telecommunications/ICTs for disaster management, and a Global
Forum on 10-12 December 2007 in Geneva. A “Workshop on remote sensing in
disaster management”, was held 10-11 December 2007, which included
presentations from BR on the use of satellites in measuring and monitoring
climate change and in assisting with emergency response to disasters.
- Programme 6 with the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)
implements the conclusions of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction for
the decade 2005-2015 under the Hyogo Framework.
- The Jakarta area office led the ITU delegation to the Bali UN Climate
Change Conference, in Dec. 2007, with participation also from TSB. Daily
mission reports are available.
- The Cairo office organized an ITU Regional Seminar on "The role of ICT
in protecting Man and Environment: How to limit the impact of its use" in
cooperation with the Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers
responsible for environmental affairs in the League of Arab States in
October 2004.
|
|
More about ITU's activities |
|
|
|
|
