The increasing use of telecommunications and ICTs for emergency communications, international agreements, new national policies, partnerships for cooperation in emergency are important tools already in place for even faster response to disasters. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as the UN agency encharged with telecommunications and information communications technologies (ICT) is leading the efforts in harmonizing technologies, services and establishing standards for emergency communications. All ITU sectors are involved and are working hard at the complexity of this issue. This article presents a short summary of ITU standards, recommendations and studies on the subject of emergency communications.
TAMPERE Convention
The first attempt to have standards for disaster relief and public warning was the Tampere Convention in 1998. After more then 10 years, the Tampere Convention has become the global foundation for effective ICT deployment in emergency relief efforts. OCHA acts as the treaty’s global operational coordinator. Although not yet ratified by all ITU member states, the convention facilitates the provision of timely and effective telecommunication resources deployment and of rapid, efficient information flow for disaster prevention and response. Entering into force was not the objective, but one of the steps. The current goal is still the integration of the Tampere convention in national legislation . The issues are complex and require cross-sector coordination. However, partnerships are in place, OCHA and ITU maintain a telecom inventory of human and material resources ready to be deployed and early warning systems are established.
Expectations for the results of the full application of the convention are very high; we need to view it beyond customs arrangements but as an essential element on saving lives.
More work is required in different areas, one being radio communications (operation of equipment, recommendations for manufacturers). ITU work in this field is significant.
Radiocommunication Sector
The Radiocommunication sector concentrates on three main topics for various stages of disasters and different types of radio communication services:
• Disaster prediction and detection – meteorological and Earth exploration satellite services.
• Disaster alerting – broadcast, fixed, mobile and related satellite services.
• Disaster relief – amateur, earth exploration, broadcast, fixed, mobile and related satellite services.
The ITU Recommendation on the "Use of Satellite and Terrestrial Broadcast Infrastructures for Public Warning and Disaster Relief" is particularly important as it gives technical guidance on how to improve the satellite broadcast use, how to alert the population and how the digital transmission and receiving equipment are to be designed to include provisions of automatic signaling and switching even when on standby mode with robust means against the abuse of the function.
The efforts of the radiocommunication sector are in the following domains:
• Cross-border circulation of radio equipment and resources
o WRC-03 Res. 646 and 644
o ITU-R Rec. M.1637
• Global circulation of 3G terminals
o ITU-R Rec. M.1579
• Regionally harmonized frequency bands for emergency / TDR
o WRC-03 Res. 646’s Region 3
• Amateur and amateur-satellite services
o ITU-R Rec. M.1042-2
• Objectives and needs for future PPDR systems circa 2010
o ITU-R Report M.2033
• WRC-07 and RA-07 adopted important Resolutions in the disaster area that member states are invited to consider. Here are some:
• Res. COM6/23 , on the importance of Earth observation data for monitoring and predicting climate change in disaster situation
• Res .COM6/7, on the need to make available pre-identified and pre-coordinated frequencies to allow instant decisions on the use of available spectrum. ITU-R is creating a data base available on-line.
• Res .ITU-R 55 and 53 on spectrum management and standard operating procedures in emergency and the cooperation guidelines with OCHA , WGET etc.
•Work is in progress and new proposals will be on the table at WRC-11.
Satellite Systems
Satellite technology provides the best support in any emergency response situation. Communications and broadcast transmissions via satellites are easy-to-use solutions when terrestrial infrastructure are damaged or destroyed, and where no base stations, towers, antennas or repeaters are in place.
GEOs and LEOs satellite systems offer instant connection from the field, help direct aid efforts more efficiently as they are an integral part of the national emergency and security arrangements.
From mobile terminals that can link a remote area in no time and offer voice, data, images to hand held satellite telephones, to direct video and audio broadcast via broadcast satellites to VSAT or digital satellite radio the choice is there.
Many satellite operators donated airtime to be used everyday via ITU for emergency warning and national public entities are now discovering also the benefits and cost effectiveness of Earth observation satellites for disaster management.
Everything depends on the coverage area, security, availability of equipment, satellite channel allocation, and the particular telecommunications requirements for the system. Pre-agreements are now in place thanks to international partnerships.
The ITU Framework for Cooperation in Emergencies (IFCE) provides the basic tool for coordinating technical, financial and logistical resources for disaster relief and includes all ITU Member Sates and Sector members.
Development Sector
Sector D of ITU contributes also to this very important topic of disaster relief and public warning. Their interests were oriented in the following domains:
• Multi-hazard for wide spectrum of events;
• Multi-technology to mitigate disastrous effects;
• Multi-phased for preventive and proactive strategies for prevention, preparedness and response to events;
• Multi-stakeholder local community, government, private sector, civil society, International Organizations.
ITU-D is actually involved in the following activities:
• Universal Access to ICT services to reduce vulnerability.
• ICT Project management (Ensuring Disaster Resilience).
• Training and capacity building (Emergency Telecommunications)
• Development of manuals, handbooks like the "Handbook on Emergency Telecommunications."
• Telecommunications Infrastructure Reconstruction.
• Develop appropriate regulatory regime.
ITU-D’s response to disasters is quick:
• Deployment of satellite terminals to affected areas and provision of operational and technical training thanks to multiple partnerships signed with satellite service providers.
• Assessment of damages to networks;
• Participation in network reconstruction effort;
• Resource mobilization.
Standardization Sector
ITU-T global standards are necessary to foster interoperability and effective emergency response.
Some are dedicated for call priority, a protocol integrated in all fixed and mobile networks including Internet networks, cable networks and next generation networks, the International Emergency Preference Scheme (IEPS) that insures that preference is given to calls made by relief operations personnel.
There are also standards at work for delivering emergency alert for persons with hearing or vision handicapped.
Generating Trusted Content
In the situation of disaster warning it is very important that the information be trusted and identified as legal and legitimate, so the first priority the warning system has to have is options with robust means against the abuse of this function in case of warning.
In order to achieve this goal, experts have agreed on a standard for all-hazard warnings for all means of communications with is designed to be compatible with all kinds of existing and future information systems and networks - Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). CAP is essentially a "content standard," a digital message format that can be applied to all types of alert and notifications.
Conclusion
No one technology is enough in saving lives. Only coordinated international and national action can help predict, detect and manage disasters and restore life in affected areas .If we want to save people we have to stay pro-active!
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Roxana Dunnette is the Executive Director, of R&D MEDIA, based in Geneva, Switzerland. She has had an extensive career in Broadcasting and media including senior management positions at Worldspace ,USA , CBS and PBS in New York covering primetime sports and news events, and international telecommunication activities through work at the United Nations in New York and the International Telecommunication Union as US government representative. She can be reached at: roxana.dunnette@ties.itu.int
