Regional and global focus on telecommunications for disaster mitigation

Disasters have and will continue to profoundly affect the public health, transportation, public safety, education, commerce and, consequently, the economic growth of many countries.   Improving the telecommunications infrastructure of a country and intelligent use of newer but widely available ICT tools will greatly mitigate the adverse effects of disasters.

It will take decades,--- perhaps forever,--- to recover from the havoc wreaked by: Hurricane Mitch on Honduras, Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, LA, USA, the terrorist’s attack on New York’s World Trade Center, the 2004 Tsunami in S. Asia and E. Africa, refugees in Africa and HIV/AIDS world wide.

In almost all of these and most other large or small events, available, workable, and properly used technologies and effective telecommunications infrastructures could have significantly reduced casualties, human suffering and property loss.  

Reliable, affordable, work any place, any time telecommunications are critical to all aspects of disaster mitigation, whether it be early warning, disaster response, recovery operations or economic reconstruction. 

There is no longer an issue of whether the right technology is available.  The question now is one of choices; --- what to use, where, how, why and at what cost?  Much to their credit the ITU and CITEL are focusing on the role of telecommunications in disaster mitigation.

On Oct 16  The World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network, in partnership with the OAS, CITEL and USTTI,  sponsored an interactive REGIONAL  DIALOGUE ON “CAPABILITIES OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF”. 

The  commitment and progress being made towards implementing disaster planning with respect to technology, infrastructure development, coordination and regulatory considerations by the participating countries was evident.   It was difficult, however, to cover all of the efforts underway in each country and answer all of the questions due to the brevity of the time allotted each country. 

Thus, I was left with some concerns about the extent to which certain technologies were or were not being factored into disaster communications planning. 

There was, for example, extensive coverage given to the well recognized Radio Amateur Service compared with the absence of discussion on the potential benefits of mobile communications by satellite.    

If not already occurring, perhaps more emphasis should be placed on mobile communications via satellite versus some of the other technologies discussed in the video teleconference. The Mobile Satellite Service better fits the criteria of universal access and of being able to operate any place. any time, in all weather and  all terrain.  The Mobile Satellite Service lends itself better to interoperability with other services and commonality of use for a multitude of applications besides disaster response.   

There are SIX, WIDELY AVAILABLE, TECHNOLOGIES which  I feel SHOULD BE ON EVERYONE’S “MUST CONSIDER LIST”.

Some or all of these technologies may be in use or under consideration by the presenting countries. Some were cited as part of their planning  but time precluded any detailed discussion.

1.    Mobile communications via satellite and cellular

2.    Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

3.    Remote Sensing

4.    Global Positioning System (GPS)

5.    Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs)

6.    The Internet

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

If they have not already planned to do so, OAS countries should participate in the ITU’S “Global Forum on Effective Use of Telecommunications/ICT  for Disaster Management: Saving Lives” .  This is scheduled for Dec10 -12 in Geneva, Switzerland.  

Their web site is:   http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms  (click on the title in the News block.)

PURPOSE OF THE FORUM (portions of the following text are derived from the ITU web site).

This event will bring together providers and users of telecommunications/ICT for disaster mitigation.  They will map out  strategies and adopt  measures aimed at giving telecommunication/ICT a central role in disaster management. 

The ITU will launch a major initiative  to coordinate the deployment of telecommunications resources for disaster relief to maximize the use of such resources and ensure that there is timely and universal access to such resources in the immediate aftermath of disasters striking .

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

This Forum will attract representatives from governments, regulatory authorities, the private sector, United Nations entities, and Non-Governmental Organizations.  They will acquire an increased awareness of the role that each of them should play in giving telecommuncations/ICT a central role in disaster mitigation.

New products and initiatives will be launched at this event including:

1. ITU Framework for Cooperation in Emergencies (IFCE)

2. Compendium on ITU Work in Emergency Telecommunications (Telecommunication Standardization, Radio communication, Telecommunication Development)

3. ITU Handbook on Best Practice in Emergency Telecommunications

4. ITU Network of Volunteers for Emergency Telecommunications (VET)

5. Signing of Multiple Partnership Agreements.

Presuming the ITU is successful in establishing a framework for improving worldwide disaster mitigation I urge you all to develop an expertise in “grant writing” combined with an understanding of what and how potential resources might be made available to help you enhance your own disaster mitigation capabilities.

Jerry Freibaum
USTTI Disaster Management
Course Director