Between 1980 and 2005, over 7,000 natural disasters worldwide took the lives of more than 2 million people and produced economic losses estimated at over 1.2 trillion US dollars. Ninety per cent of these natural disasters, 72 per cent of casualties and 75 per cent of economic losses were caused by weather-, climate- and water-related hazards, such as droughts, floods, severe storms and tropical cyclones. For this reason, climate change monitoring and disaster prediction mechanisms are increasingly vital for our personal safety and economic wellbeing. Currently, radio-based applications such as remote sensors are the main source of information about the Earth´s atmosphere and surface.
For 135 years, there has been excellent collaboration and partnership between WMO and ITU. Whilst WMO focuses its efforts on meeting the needs for environmental information and the corresponding radio frequency spectrum resources, ITU, as international steward of the spectrum, allocates the necessary radio frequencies to allow the interference-free operation of radio-based applications and radiocommunication systems (terrestrial and space) used for climate monitoring and prediction, weather forecasting and disaster early warning and detection.
This seminar is organized as an open forum for discussion of the ITU and WMO roles in the use of radio spectrum, space orbits and radio-based meteorological tools and systems for monitoring, mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
The primary goal of this seminar is to provide information and exchange of the experience National Meteorological and Radio-Frequency Spectrum Management Services/Authorities have on the use and further development of radio-based space and terrestrial systems and applications employed for weather, water and climate monitoring and the relevant radio-frequency spectrum management activities.
The main issues proposed for discussion are as follows: - The role of information communication technologies (ICTs) in general, and radio-based technologies in particular, in monitoring climate change - general overview;
- WMO and ITU roles in development, use and effective operation of systems and applications for monitoring of the environment, prediction, detection of natural disasters and mitigation of negative effects of disasters initiated by climate change;
- Current status and development of radio-based systems and applications for weather, water and climate monitoring and prediction;
- Operation of meteorological systems and quality of meteorological measurements;
- Activities of other national and international organizations in climate monitoring and disaster prediction, detection and mitigation of negative effects of disasters.
The seminar will be conducted in English.Note regarding fellowships: - In recognition of the difficulty faced by some Member States, the ITU will offer one fellowship per eligible country, with priority given to requests from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Fellowship requests should be submitted using the form attached as Annex 1 to the invitation letter. Accommodation will be arranged and paid for by the ITU. |