Elephants Will Shake Head Catfish will move Gods will walk with heavy foot Are we ready?

1. ANMF/ASNEngr/CAN-USA Initiative on Earthquake Preparedness and Disaster Relief in Nepal‏ Elephants Will Shake HeadCatfish will moveGods will walk with heavy footAre we ready? PrabudhdaDahal CAN-USA

2. Overview • CAN-USA and Disaster Preparedness • Preparedness in Two Realms • Telecommunication • Importance following disaster • Current Status • Moving forward • Geographic Information • Importance • Applications • Current Status

3. Disaster Inevitable • An 8.0 earthquake is expected to destroy KTM in the future • This quake occurs ~every 75 years and it has been ~76 years since the last one • KTM's Devastation will impact all of Nepal • Admin/Resource heavily centralized • Seat of Government • Industry • Single International Airport

4. CAN-USA's History with Disaster Preparedness Issues • CAN-USA has been raising awareness of the expected 8.0 earthquake in KTM • In July 2008 an entire module of our inaugural Technology Development Conference was dedicated to disaster telecommunications networks with a focus on the after-effects of the expected quake • Participants: • City of San Francisco • Bay Area Red Cross • CAN-USA

5. CAN-USA and Disaster Preparedness • Many projections made in 2008 for KTM have tragically come to pass in Haiti • Please Read : Disaster Telecommunication Networks in Nepal An Assessment with Special Reference to Kathmandu Valley • Since then we have consistently tried to raise awareness of this issue to this very day • The devastation that will visit Nepal Requires the unified responsible efforts across multiple disciplines, everyone must be involved

6. Unity to Preparedness • I cannot put enough emphasis on the need for collaboration between agencies • Joint Effort by • CAN-USA • ASNEngr • ANMF • Other Professional Associations need to step forward

7. Why are Telecommunication Networks Important? •  They save lives •  Allow First Responders to be Quickly and Optimally Deployed • Allow Survivors to Inform Rescuers of their Location • The Central Nervous System of any Search & Rescue or Resupply effort • Initially Valuable time was lost in Haiti due to telecommunication failures.

8. Current Telecom Status in Nepal • Nepal Relies principally on Commercial Telecommunication • Copper Wire Telephony 500,000 • Cellular GSM 450,000 • Wireless Local Loop 60,000 •  Most Rural and Remote Nepal do not have Telecomm Services

9. Why are Disaster Telecommunication networks necessary? • Commercial Communication Relies on power grid and standing cell phone towers • The Vulnerability to copper and cellular telephony in KTM to damage during a disaster is high • First Responders need Redundant Systems not just a single service provider • First Responders need: • Broadcast as well as two way communication • Data transfer as well as voice • Need to limit access to sensitive information

10. What is the state of Nepal's Disaster Telecommunication Network? • Nobody knows exactly • The police have a system but have a troubled history with the civilian population • It is not clear whether this system is adequate to serve Nepal as a whole • Nepal Red Cross Preparedness • 30 Walkie Talkies and one satellite phone for entire country, Absolutely Horrible • Audit performed by S.P. Ojha Oct10, 2007 • Do KTM's major hospitals have the ability to access the outside world when commercial   telecommunication goes down? • Unclear • Are doctors trained to operate the communication equipment

11. Status of Telecom Network • Does Tribhuvan Int'l airport have redundant communication systems to cope with the expected air traffic during an emergency? • Unknown • What Contingency plans do Nepal Telecomm, Mero Mobile have for disaster preparadnes and quick reconstruction? • Unclear • Which Government Agency is responsible for planning/maintaining a robust Disaster Telecommunication network for the country? • Unclear whether such an agency exists.

12. The GOAL • By asking these questions now and helping to identify areas for improvement, it is our goal to help Nepal develop a better disaster telecommunication network for the time  it needs it.

13. Telecommunications is everybody's concern • Doctors • Air Traffic Controllers • First Responders • Engineers • Average Person • You do not need to be a telecommunications expert to ask or find answers to any of these questions!!　

14. The most asked questionfollowing a Disaster • WHERE????? • Where is the damage • Where are likely survivors/needy people • Where should the rescue effort focus • WHERE DO WE START

15. GIS in Disaster Preparedness Management Phases* Source: Russ Johnson. GIS Technology for Disasters and Emergency Management, ESRI

16. Role of GIS • Most emergency management data are spatial in nature • Logical collection, organization and display of information • Information sharing among multiple entities • Eliminates guesswork

17. GIS Application:Pre-Disaster • % Literacy as an indicator or Disaster Threat (Red is more) • Identifying threat zones and creating threat index: • Potentially High, Medium or Low impact areas within a given geographic boundary • (Jilla, Nagarpalika, Wada etc)

18. GIS Application:Post-Disaster • Intervention Route: • Howwill Ambulance/Fire reach affected area? • How will Med Supply/Food reach affected people? Road System

19. GIS Application:Post-Disaster Schools in Kathmandu • Identifying location of critical infrastructures: • Population Centers such as Schools, Supermarkets • Hospitals/Temporary Medical Facility • Food/Water distribution centers • Police/Security centers

20. GIS Application:Post-Disaster Rescue Centers

21. GIS Application:Post-Disaster • Disaster Survey and Communication • Low Altitude – Hi Resolution aerial photos • Geo-referenced

22. GIS Status • There appears to be some work done • Cross-agency maps, data and application sharing is important • The panel and subcommittees hope to achieve this

23. Some key questions to ponder upon • Can Nepal govern itself following the quake: Geo-Political •  When the quake happens how do we send resources and expertise? • Who do we offer them to? • What can we do right now to prepare? • What should I do to help my family prepare?

24. Please Join these Organizations to Help in Endeavors like this and several others • ASNEngr • ANMF • CAN-USA

25. Thankyou • Questions