ICTs to manage risk, crisis response, early warning, emergency telecommunications
ITU plays a key global role in shaping thought and ways forward in the use of ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management – through the design of national emergency telecommunication plans, the setting up of early warning and monitoring systems and the provision of emergency telecommunications equipment.
ICTs: reducing risk, improving response to crisis, early warning and emergency telecommunications
ITU-D has assisted a total of 28 countries in identifying key priorities for disaster management by delivering National emergency telecommunication plans (NETPs) to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Kiribati, and Mongolia – and by supporting Ecuador, Iraq, Malawi, Nepal, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, and Tonga with the development of their NETPs. ITU-D developed an emergency telecommunication assessment of the South African Development Community (SADC), to assist the 16 Member States of SADC in setting their emergency telecom priorities.
ITU-D is taking a lead role in the new Early Warning for All initiative, which stipulates that every person in the world should be protected by an early warning system by 2027.
ITU’s response work has been of critical importance in guiding first responders and in helping countries hit by disasters to restore connectivity:
- October 2022, ITU deployed satellite equipment (Iridium phones and BGANs) to Nicaragua to support the country in their relief efforts following Hurricane Julia.
- March 2023, the ITU emergency telecommunications team deployed Thuraya satellite phones to Malawi and Iridium satellite phones to Mozambique in support of the disaster response to cyclone Freddy.
- The BDT Disaster Connectivity Map (DCM) was activated in five countries following disasters, and was successfully used to identify communication gaps and guide response efforts by first responders in Tonga, which was affected by a volcanic eruption and tsunami in 2022.
- The DCM was also activated to guide responders in Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquake in February 2023; in Zimbabwe in response to Cyclone Freddy; and in Vanuatu after it was struck by Cyclones Judy and Kevin.
ITU-D online trainings: a total of 398 participants followed the three ITU Online Training Modules on Emergency Telecommunications. These cover 1) the development of NETPs; 2) the organization of tabletop simulation exercises (TTX); and 3) information on the Tampere Convention and its benefits. All three online modules are self-paced and are available on the ITU Academy Platform.
