WIS in support of Disaster Prevention & Mitigation (DPM)

1. WIS in support ofDisaster Prevention & Mitigation (DPM) Sue Barrell Australian Bureau of Meteorology & CBS Coordinator for DPM (in collaboration with WMO DPM Programme)

2. WIS and DPM - outline • Information requirements of DPM • GTS as a core component • Benefits & challenges • Application to tsunami warnings • WIS in support of DPM • National • Regional & Global • Recommendations

3. Information needs for DPM - why • Planning • Hazard analysis and mapping • Multi-hazard • Operational hazard early detection and warnings • Services for pre- & post- disaster emergency response and relief operations • Enhancing NMHSs products and services and their utilization through cooperation with other agencies • Education and training • NMHSs and key stakeholders • Public outreach

4. Information needs for DPM – what, how • Right information to right place at right time, but more importantly  to the right people in a way they can understand, use effectively and respond accordingly • Timely delivery of data & products – hazard-specific • Interoperable across multi-hazards, systems, users • Robust and affordable infrastructure • Flexible/multiple pathways • Standardised formats, content, metadata • Language-appropriate content • Routine and on-demand data & products • Global, regional, national accessibility and coverage • Authentication of source

5. Benefits of GTS for exchange of Tsunami-Related Information and Warnings • WMO GTS formally designated as the telecommunication backbone for global exchange of tsunami related information and warnings • Upgrades to GTS in Indian Ocean have already demonstrated benefits to Members for timely exchange of tsunami information • GTS upgrades in 8 countries by December 2006 • Basin-wide demonstration and real test during July 2006 Java tsunami was successful

6. Status of GTS Upgrades (As of October 2006) GTS/ICT training is arranged on a country-by-country basis following the completion of the upgrades in each country.

7. Use of GTS for Interim Indian Ocean TWI • Tsunami Watch Information (TWI) bulletins for the Indian Ocean are issued by JMA and PTWC, and distributed by GTS • Regional GTS Hubs adjust the message routing to distribute TWI messages to IO NMHSs • TWI bulletins also inserted into transmission programmes of GTS satellite-based data distribution systems • Routine tests with “dummy” TWI bulletins (from April 2005)

8. Washington Offenbach Exeter Honolulu (PTWC) Toulouse Moscow Prague Tokyo (JMA) Beijing Algiers Sofia Tehran Cairo New Delhi Karachi Dhaka Abu-Dhabi Dakar Yangon Jeddah Muscat Bangkok Sanaa Djibouti Kuala Lumpur Male Singapore Colombo Mogadiscio Nairobi Seychelles Jakarta Moroni Dar Es Salaam Mauritius Brasilia Antananarivo St Denis Pretoria Maputo New Amsterdam Melbourne Buenos Aires Kerguelen GTS dissemination of Tsunami Watch Information (TWI) for the Indian Ocean issued by Honolulu (PTWC) and Tokyo (JMA) Tsunami Watch Information center National Meteorological Center in the Indian Ocean Rim

9. Real Tsunami Watch messages on 17 July 2006 JMA Washington Melbourne 08:46 GMT 11:43 GMT 12:25 GMT 18:50 GMT PTWC 08:36 GMT 11:08 GMT RTH TOKYO 08:38:59 GMT (+3m) 11:11:03 GMT (+3 m) 11:43:11GMT(11 sec) 13:24GMT 13:23GMT 19:02GMT 08:44 GMT 11:11 GMT NMC JAKARTA RTH NAIROBI 8:50 Pretoria St. Denis (La Reunion) Dar-es-Salaam Mombasa Oman Jeddah Pakistan Dhaka Bangkok Teheran Yangon Columbo Male (outage) 8:50 8:50 08:48 GMT (+12 m) 08:50GMT(+4m) 8:51 8:51 (Retransmitted immediately) RTH NEW DELHI 8:53 8:54 8:54 15:08

10. Challenges with GTS for other regions at risk of Tsunami • Identification of needs for GTS upgrades (Members and Telecommunication Hubs) in other regions at-risk • Need for standardisation and prioritisation for exchange of tsunami-related information on GTS • Very short lead times • Data and warnings

11. Benefits of WIS in National DPM • Facilitating information exchange in support of more effective emergency preparedness and response activities for multi-hazards through: • Convenient supported access to a wide variety of relevant environmental information from multiple sources • Use of cheaper, standard and widely used infrastructure • Uses Internet but addresses security concerns • Open to larger network of national agencies involved in end-to-end early warning systems (EWS) relevant to all hazards • Relevant & standardised information provided in a timely fashion to target users in a way they can readily assimilate • Increasing capability for timely national response when lead times are short

12. Challenges of WIS in National DPM • Need for identification/authentication of agencies involved in end-to-end early warning system • Requirements, constraints and concerns of these target users need to be carefully understood and properly implemented through WIS • WIS does not address capacity issues such as low bandwidth • Could accentuate digital divide as more advanced countries exploit new capabilities and less developed countries left behind • Does not address access to/by remote and isolated communities • Important to continue ‘last mile’ systems such as EMWIN (Emergency Managers’ Weather Information Network), RANET (Radio Internet)

13. Benefits of WIS in International & Regional DPM • WIS can facilitate information and products to agencies involved in coordination of international and regional humanitarian response • From WMO/WWW GOS and GDPFS • Linked to and interoperable with other systems and platforms • Timely delivery of relevant information when lead times are short • Can facilitate development of value-added information and products with partner agencies • Assist the international humanitarian community in shifting focus from post-disaster response to contingency planning • Support cross-disciplinary & multi-hazard approach in regional and global level planning and resource mobilisation, eg in association with GEOSS

14. Challenges of WIS in International & Regional DPM • ‘Sell’ benefits of use of WIS to other Disaster Risk Management agencies • Consultation and outreach • Need for identification of key international and regional agencies through bilateral discussions and the ISDR (International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) System • Understanding of their processes and requirements • DPM Programme has initiated this process in collaboration with WWW • Recognition of WIS as a core, fundamental building block of GEOSS • Profile of WMO and NMHSs within countries and regions

15. Recommendations for effective implementation of WIS in support of DPM • Continued strengthening of GTS, procedures and protocols to ensure timely exchange of information with Members • Identify target agencies at national, regional & international levels who can benefit from WIS • Identify target agencies' specific requirements, constraints and challenges with utilisation of WIS • Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR), • Use DPM Crosscutting Framework involving WWW, WMO Programmes, and experts from Disaster Risk management (WIS new-user) community

16. Recommendations for effective implementation of WIS in support of DPM (2) • Need for protocols and procedures for information exchange and utilisation by target users • Need for clarification of information ownership to avoid confusion • Capacity development, training and outreach in WIS for NMHSs and new target users • Establish, under crosscutting DPM framework, a task team to address the above issues for proposal to CBS

17. Thank you http://www.wmo.int/disasters