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Workshop on technological evolution, ICT exercises and disaster management drills

​Wednesday, 3 October 2018, 09:30 – 12:30 and 14:30 – 15:45 (Room H)

The session on disaster drills and emerging technologies on disaster management was held at ITU Headquarters (ITU Montbrillant building, Room H) in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, 3 October 2018, from 09:30-12:30 and from 14:30-15:45. This workshop was preceded by the ITU-D Study Group 2 Question 5/2 meeting dedicated to “Utilizing telecommunications/ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management" that took place on Wednesday 2 October 2018 from 14:30-17:30.  

This workshop aimed to share experiences and knowledge accumulated over years on effective disaster drills, use of emergency telecommunication systems, and other means to improve preparedness and resiliency with and among ITU-D members. Additionally, information on the availability and usage of emerging technologies in disaster management was highlighted and shared. The discussions in the workshop sessions have assisted in gathering and documenting important information for the preparation of the annual progress report of Study Question Q5/2.

The scope of these workshop sessions were focused on the use of ICTs in disaster drills for better preparedness. The outcomes in this workshop were lessons learned and best practices on emergency communications drills and exercises, and on the use of emerging technologies for disaster management.

PROGRAMME

​09:30 - 09:40

​Welcome and setting the scene

  • ​Mr Sanjeev Banzal, Co-Rapporteur for Question 5/2, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)​, India

​09:40 - 11:00

​Session 1: Experiences of Disaster Drills by using Emergency Telecommunication Systems

  • ​Explore experiments on actual disaster drills using ICTs
  • Lessons learned from experiences of disaster drills, and effectiveness of the drills in emergency situations
  • What should be the key objectives of drills, and how stakeholders are involved?
​ Moderator:  Mr Hideo Imanaka, Vice-Rapporteur of Question 5/2, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) (Japan)
​ Panelists:
  • UNITAR’s role in disaster preparedness and drills        
    Mr Einar Bjorgo, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
    [Presentation​]           
  • Use of emergency telecommunication systems in disaster management drills: the case of Philippines  
    Mr Jeffrey Llanto, Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation (CVISNet) (Philippines) [Presentation​]​                                   
  • Drills for emergency communications in metropolitan areas
    Mr Hiroshi Kumagai, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) (Japan) [Presentation]                   
  • Disaster relief applications for broadcasting services       
    Mr Akihiro Nakatani, Astem Co. Ltd. (Japan) [Presentation​]                   
                                 

​11:00 - 11:15

​Coffee/tea break

​11:15 - 12:30

​Session 2: Emerging technologies on disaster management

  • ​How technologies are being applied
  • Policies that enable the advancement and deployment of evolving technologies
  • Explore examples and types of new emerging disaster management technologies, including recent and expected technological evolutions
​ Moderator: Mr Abdulkarim Ayopo Oloyede, Vice-Rapporteur for Question 5/2, Federal Ministry of Communications, Nigeria
​ Panellists:                  
  • The role of Loon p​roject in disaster risk reduction 
    Ms Emily Yousling, Google (United States)  [Presentation]                      
  • Practical use of drones in disaster response and recovery
    Ms Salma Farouque, Global Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) [Presentation​]                     
  • Global center for disaster statistics - use of big data in emergency situations 
    Mr Yuichi Ono, Tohoku University (Japan) [Presentation]
  • The potential of disruptive technologies in disaster management
    Ms Vanessa Gray, ITU/BDT​ [Presentation​]

​12:30 - 14:30

​Lunch break

​14:30 - 15:30

​Session 3: Disaster Management and Drills by using ICTs

  • Examples of the range, scope and frequency of emergency communications exercises and drills
  • How exercises and drills can increase preparedness, and ways to Increase the effectiveness of drills?
  • Tailoring drills and exercises to national conditions and complex emergencies
  • Types of potential participants, and enabling robust stakeholder engagement
  • Use of innovative technologies in preparedness exercises as well as use of old technologies in innovative ways to support preparedness and response
​ ​Moderator: Mr Joseph Burton, Co-Rapporteur for Question 5/2, Cyber and International Communications and I​​nformation Policy (CIP), United States 
​ Panelists:               
  • Coordinating communications drills and exercises - setting the stage
    ​​Ms Salma Farouque, Global Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) [Presentation​]
  • Communications drills and exercises, the amateur radio perspective
    Mr Rod Stafford, International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) (United States)
  • India’s experience executing a mega drill in the Western Himalaya region
    Ms Preeti Banzal, Ministry of Communication, India​ [Presentation]

​15:30 - 15:45

​Wrap-up and closing

​
  • ​Summary of key findings, future work in ITU-D Question 5/2​​  
    Mr. Sanjeev Banzal

​ITU plays an important role in using ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management, through the design of national emergency telecommunication plans, the setting up of early warning and monitoring systems and the provision of emergency telecommunications equipment when disasters strike.

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