ITU activities related to disaster management and early warning

1. ITU activities related to disaster management and early warning Richard Hill Counsellor, ITU-T Study Groups 2 and 3 CAP Implementers Workshop, Geneva, 9, 10 December 2008

2. Outline • Introduction • Radiocommunication Sector • Telecommunication Standardization Sector • Telecommunication Development Sector • Future work • Conclusion

3. Introduction

4. ITU-D ITU-T Assisting implementation and operation of telecommunications in developing countries Telecommunication standardization ofnetwork and service aspects ITU-R Radiocommunicationstandardization and global radio spectrum management ITU Overview 191 Member States +700 Sector Members ITU Helping the World Communicate

5. Role of ITU in TDR/ETS/EWS • In five words, Committed to connecting the world: even more so in distress situations! • Long-time work on telecom for emergency situations • Morse code …(it was a long time ago…) • Three recent examples • Tampere Convention to facilitate exchange of telecom equipment in disaster relief operations • WRC-07: allocated additional spectrum for radiocommunication systems involved in disaster prediction/detection and emergency communications • Standardization work on call priority & alert message delivery • Plenipotentiary Conference Resolution 136 • “Use of telecommunications/ICTs for monitoring and management in emergency & disaster situations for early warning, prevention, mitigation and relief ”

6. ITU’s role in Disaster Reduction (1) • Prediction and detection - using radio-based remote sensing systems • Mitigation • Damage assessment for planning relief operations • Spectrum management • Establishment of globally/regionally harmonized frequency bands • Application of terrestrial and space (satellite) radiocommunication services • Global circulation of emergency equipment • Support to emergency broadcasting, maritime and public safety signals • All types of networks

7. ITU’s role in Disaster Reduction (2) • Preparedness • Radio spectrum to be used for relief operations • Standards for public telecommunication services • International emergency for preference scheme for disaster relief • Message broadcast • Global network security • Interoperability of telecom networks

8. ITU’s role in Disaster Reduction (3) • Response • Appropriate project management techniques • Legal and regulatory issues (Tampere + GSR) • Universal access (early warning) • Capacity building (preparedness) • Relief (response) • Reconstruction • Partnerships (e.g., INMARSAT, WMO, WGET, OCHA, IARU)

9. Scenarios for emergency communications • Four communication scenarios: • Citizen to citizen • Authority to authority • Authority to citizen • Citizen to authority • ITU has worked in scenarios 1, 2 and 3. More work could be done • Could work on scenario 4 (more relevant to day-to-day emergency situations: fire, police, call for medical assistance, etc)

10. How the work progresses? • ITU’s work is contribution-driven: contributions  progress • Governments, users (including intergovernmental agencies and NGOs), manufacturers need to bring in proposals to enhance the features of existing systems • Trend for initial focus to be on improving what already exists, in order to be implementable in a short time-frame

11. Radiocommunications

12. Disaster phases and the radio services involved • Disaster prediction and detection – meteorological and Earth exploration satellite services • Disaster alerting – broadcasting, fixed, mobile and related satellite services • Disaster relief – Amateur, broadcasting, fixed, mobile and related satellite services

13. Disaster prediction and detection Meteorological and Earth exploration satellite services • Operated in the main by government and international agencies • Play a major role in prediction and detection of disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, floods, fires, dangerous pollution, etc.)

14. Disaster alerting • Alert the central/regional/local authorities responsible for warning the public – broadcasting, fixed, mobile, fixed/mobile-satellite systems • Issue warnings to the people likely to be affected • Broadcasting (sound and television) • Mobile (such as TV, Radio, SMS / Cell broadcasting)

15. Disaster relief • Amateur – a long history of aiding with communications during disasters • Earth exploration satellite – damage assessment and relief planning • Fixed/mobile satellite - to rapidly restore communications capabilities, coordination of relief activities • Fixed – transportable, higher capacity - point-to-point and local area • Mobile – coordination of relief activities, both private and public systems used

16. Resolution 646 (WRC-03) Recommends use of regionally harmonized bands: • Region 1: 380-470 MHz as the frequency range within which the band 380‑385/390‑395 MHz is a preferred core harmonized band for permanent public protection activities within certain countries of Region 1; • Region 2: 746-806 MHz, 806-869 MHz, 4 940-4 990 MHz; • Region 3: 406.1-430 MHz, 440-470 MHz, 806-824/851-869 MHz, 4 940‑4 990 MHz and 5 850-5 925 MHz. • Encourages administrations to facilitate cross-border circulation of radio equipment intended for use in disaster relief situations

17. ITU Regions

18. NEW! Resolution 647 (WRC-07) Spectrum management guidelines for emergency and disaster relief radiocommunication • Places emphasis on preparedness concerning spectrum needs in the phase immediately after an emergency has started • Encourages administrations to maintain available frequencies for use in the very early stages of humanitarian assistance intervention for disaster relief • Instructs ITU-BR to assist Member States with their emergency communication preparedness activities by establishing & maintaining a database of currently available frequencies for use in emergency situations

19. RA-07 Resolution ITU-R 53 Use of radiocommunications in disaster response and relief • Assistance to ITU Member States with their emergency radiocommunication preparedness activities • E.g. listing of currently available frequencies for use in emergency situations for inclusion in a database maintained by BR • Assist other international organizations (e.g. OCHA, WGET, IMO) with the development and dissemination of standard operating procedures for spectrum management in the event of disasters

20. RA-07 Resolution ITU-R 55 ITU studies of disaster prediction, detection, mitigation and relief • It identifies areas that ITU-R Study Groups could address in their studies/activities and develop guidelines related to the management of radiocoms in disaster prediction, detection, mitigation and relief • This is to be done collaboratively within & outside ITU to avoid duplication

21. Status of studies (samples) Early-warning systems • Recommendation ITU-R BO.1774“Use of satellite and terrestrial broadcast infrastructures for public warning, disaster mitigation and relief” • Recommendation ITU-R S.1001“Use of systems in the fixed-satellite service in the event of natural disasters and similar emergencies for warning and relief operations” Global circulation of equipment • Recommendation ITU-R M.1637“Global cross-border circulation of radiocommunication equipment in emergency and disaster relief situations” • Recommendation ITU-R M.1579“Global circulation of IMT-2000 terminals” • Recognize the importance of the needs of organizations dealing with disaster relief

22. Status of studies – needs of future systems Report ITU-R M.2033 “Radiocommunication objectives and requirements for public protection and disaster relief (PPDR)” • Defines objectives and needs for the implementation of future PPDR solutions • Focuses on operational needs around 2010

23. Status of studies – Amateur involvement Recommendation ITU-R M.1042-2 “Disaster communications in the amateur and amateur-satellite services” • Encourages the development of robust, flexible and independent amateur service and amateur-satellite service networks, capable of providing communications during disasters and relief operations

24. Telecommunication Standardization

25. ITU-T work on TDR/EW [1] All ITU-T Recommendations are now publicly accessible for free at:http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/publications/recs.html • Installation techniques for a sturdy outside plant (Handbook and L-series Recommendations) • X.1303: Common altering protocol based on OASIS CAP v1.1 • E.106: Call preference scheme over the PSTN • Support of E.106 in various ITU-defined systems • E.107: Emergency telecommunications service (ETS) and interconnection framework for national implementations • Discussion on extension of the preference scheme to packet technologies (IP in particular) • Creation of work items in the technical committees (“Study Groups”)

26. ITU-T work on TDR/EW [2] • Preference scheme defined for two families of IP-based systems standardized by ITU: • H.323 Multimedia & VoIP (ITU-T H.460.4 & H.460.14) • IP-Cablecom (ITU-T J.260) • Overview of the basic requirements, features, and concepts for emergency telecoms for NGN (ITU-T Y.1271) • Definition of a E.164 special country code for emergency communications under the responsibility of the UN • Guidelines to select Emergency Number for public telecommunications networks (E.161.1) • Action Plan for Standardization on TDR/EW • ITU Compendium on Emergency Communications: Volume with all applicable ITU-T Recommendations • Workshops: 2002 (ETS), 2006 (Public warning)

27. PCP-TDR * • Coordination role: • Monitor the progress oftechnical standardization for telecommunications for disaster relief & early warning • Address coordination issues between the partners • Develop and maintain contact with entities not traditionally involved in standards development • Promote the adoption of existing standards • Participation open to all key players: • standards development organizations, • international telecommunication service providers, • related government departments, • disaster relief organizations and • other entities working in the field * Partnership Coordination Panel on Telecommunication for Disaster Relief and Mitigation

28. In Case of Emergency • How to find out who to call if a person is injured or sick? • If they have a mobile phone, look at the contact list. • But there should be a multi-lingual way to see who to call. • Amendment 1 to ITU-T Rec. E.123 provides this (approved Sep.2008).

29. Contents of mobile handset directory (example)

30. Telecommunication Development Sector

31. Overview • Emergency telecommunications is an integral part of BDT projects integrating telecommunications/information and communication technology in disaster predication, detection, and alerting. • Four principles: • Multi-hazard • Multi-technology • Multi-phased and • Multi-stakeholder

32. Key activities (1/2) • Assisting countries to formulate policy and draft appropriate laws and regulations • Designing National Emergency Telecommunications Plans and formulating Standard Operating Procedures that are now used by countries • Deploying of telecommunication resources such as broadband satellite terminals for basic voice communications and telemedicine • Training/capacity building for relevant institutions • Formulation of climate change adaptation strategies • Forging stakeholder partnerships as a form of resource mobilization, etc

33. Key Activities (2/2) • ICT Project management (Ensuring Disaster Resilience) • Training and capacity building (Emergency Telecommunications) • Development of manuals, handbooks, etc. • Telecommunications Infrastructure Reconstruction • Develop Appropriate Regulatory Regime (Licensing for Disaster etc)

34. Links • Global Forum on Effective Use of Telecommunications / ICT for Disaster Management: Saving Lives, Geneva, December 2007:http://itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms/events/global_forum • Emergency Telecoms Newslog:http://itu.int/ITU-D/emt/newsroom • Emergency Telecommunications Program main page:http://itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms

35. Recent events where CAP was discussed • Training Workshop on Disaster Management including the Integration of Emergency Telecommunications Plans into Disaster Management Plans(Kigali, Rwanda, 9-11 July 2008) • ITU Southern and Eastern Africa Workshop on the Use of Telecommunications/ICT for Disaster Management: Saving Lives(Lusaka, Zambia, 17–18 July 2008) For more information, see:http://itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms/events.html

36. Future work

37. Ongoing Telecom Development work • Provide expertise as required to plan and deploy systems (including CAP) • Specific projects • Develop documentation, best practices, etc. • Training and capacity building

38. Ongoing standardization work • Add-ons to existing system specifications: • System override for emergency message broadcast: audio, audiovisual, text • Extension of short text messaging to fixed telephones (circuit-switched and IP/soft-phones) • Definition of methods to address multiple languages and communication for persons with disabilities, in particular for IP-based systems • Framework for interconnection of priority schemes across the different systems (PSTN and different IP platforms, e.g. H.323, IP-Cablecom, SIP) and across proprietary/ privileged systems • Definition of pre-allocated “channel” number for 3G mobile cell broadcast use

39. Conclusion

40. Conclusions • ITU has historically played an important role in communications for disaster prevention and mitigation • Work already has been done in certain areas in the radiocommunication and standardization sectors for existing systems as well as future systems (such as NGN) … but much more can be done. • For the work to progress: study groups need to receive proposals from the ITU members! • For the way forward: • Understand users requirements • Identify the regulatory framework • Develop a set of global and compatible Standards • Cost aspects • Evolutionary approach • Respect national sovereignty • Partnership between Member States, private sector, Government Agencies, and NGOs • Participate! (next slide for web resources)

41. Web resources • Main ITU emergency telecoms page www.itu.int/emergencytelecoms • ITU-D emergency telecommunications page www.itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms • ITU-R emergency radiocommunications page http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=information&rlink=emergency&lang=en • ITU-T emergency telecoms page www.itu.int/ITU-T/emergencytelecoms/ • Partnership Coordination Panel on TDR/EW  www.itu.int/ITU-T/special-projects/pcptdr/ • Radiocommunication Assembly 2007 Resolutions www.itu.int/publ/R-RES • Tampere Convention http://www.reliefweb.int/telecoms/tampere/ • ISDR Platform for Promotion of EW http://www.unisdr.org/ppew/ • ITU-T Recommendations www.itu.int/ITU-T/publications/recs.htmlNew! Free online! • ITU-R Recommendations http://www.itu.int/publ/R-REC/en • ITU-T Workshops  http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem

42. Thank you Richard Hill Counsellor, ITU-T Study Groups 2 and 3 richard.hill@itu.int