Emergency Communications MR04 14.00-15.00 Abu Dhabi B In 2011 alone, disasters such as the Japanese earthquake or floods in Thailand cost the world upwards of US$380bn. Emergency ICTs have a critical role to play in the prediction, detection, mitigation and management of disasters, from monitoring environmental change to coordinating the response of humanitarian agencies. Limited connectivity, particularly in remote and rural areas, remains the major challenge to deploying emergency ICTs. How can technical, policy, regulatory and partnership options mitigate the impact of disasters? How could National Emergency Telecommunications Plans, business continuity plans, international cooperation and telecommunications standards impact on socio-economic costs? This session will benefit from diverse ministerial insights from across the globe. ministerial roun dtables 59