This morning we have the second of two sessions on climate change. Our subject this morning is Adapting to Climate Change: The Role of Emergency Telecommunications.

Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change is a key issue for all countries, but especially for developing countries, which are often the most vulnerable and the least equipped to protect their population.

As already indicated in the first session on climate change, technological development of telecommunications can help in preventing further climate change as well as in adapting to climate change. One of the most effective ways of preventing further climate change is energy saving due to reducing telecommunication equipment consumption.

An impressive example in this area is a new digital broadcasting Plan GE06 developed by the Regional Radiocommunication Conference 2006 (RRC-06), which involved 120 countries. This Plan envisages significant reduction – almost 10 times in transmitter power due to the use of digital modulation. Taking into account that there are hundreds of thousands of transmitters around the world with power of up to 100-150 kW each, the resulting effect is very significant. Moreover the number of transmitters may be reduced due to the possibility of transmitting up to 10 TV programmes in one 8 MHz channel instead of 1 TV programme per channel. This is based on technical standards, ITU-R Recommendations, developed by the Radiocommunication Sector.

What is the role of telecommunications and, especially, emergency telecommunications, in the adaptation process?
There have been many success stories related to the use of ICTs, including emergency telecommunications (wired and wireless), for adapting to climate change and for saving lives.

Telecommunications greatly assist in predicting climate change. Currently there are many national and international systems employed for obtaining environment data. Most of these systems use radio based remote sensors. That is why the work of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is especially important. It focuses on development of ITU-R standards (Radio Regulations and ITU-R Recommendations) allowing the use of different radio technologies and equipment such as satellite-based sensors for prediction, detection and mitigation of negative effects initiated by climate change (hurricanes, typhoons, thunderstorms, flooding, etc.) as well as earthquakes, tsunamis and man-made disasters. The studies carried out by the ITU-R Study Groups, the decisions of the Radiocommunication Assembly and the World Radiocommunication Conference (whose decisions have international treaty status) provide the necessary radio frequency spectrum and non-interference operation of weather and climate monitoring systems.

Telecommunications are the main media for delivery of early warning information to the general public. One of the most important goals of emergency telecommunications is to provide timely early warning information to the general public. Hundreds of thousands of lives would have been saved in December 2004 by an effective early warning system had it existed. In turn, the International community subsequently created a tsunami early-warning and mitigation system for the Indian Ocean based on 25 seismic stations, 26 national tsunami centres and the use of deep ocean sensors, with messages sent by satellite phone. A similar system has existed in the Pacific Ocean since 1965.

To provide the technical basis for quick delivery of early warning signals, ITU has developed standards including special alert and signalling protocols for simultaneous delivery of warnings through different types of networks and systems (wired and wireless).

Telecommunications in planning the organization of relief operations. Radiocommunication systems are especially important in disaster relief operations because in many cases, the "wired" telecommunication infrastructure is significantly or completely destroyed by a disaster, and only radiocommunication services can be employed for disaster relief operation.

Earth-exploration systems employing remote sensing equipment play a major role in damage assessment. In addition, satellite remote sensing systems are used for locating survivors and for measuring the potential danger for rescue teams. Telecommunications ensure communication between humanitarian response crews and other agencies working onsite, providing contact with local hospitals and paramedics, and also with the victims.

To facilitate the operation of radiocommunication systems in disaster situations, and in accordance with the decision of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07), the Radiocommunication Bureau is currently creating a special database of frequencies which could be used in a country for emergency radiocommunications.

And, finally, a few words about THE ITU ROLE IN EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICAITONS. The ITU, through its 3 Sectors (ITU-D, ITU-R, ITU-T) and the General Secretariat, provides:

• Legal basis for Emergency Telecommunications:
  • removing barriers to the deployment of telecommunication equipment;
  • providing access to radio spectrum and information about radio frequencies, which could be used for emergency radiocommunications;
  • providing necessary conditions for operation of radio and telecommunication systems;
• Technical basis:
  • developing ITU technical standards (including special alarm and signalling protocols) for telecommunication networks, systems and equipment (radio and wired) used for early warning and during disaster relief operations;
  • developing guidelines for the use of specific systems/equipment for disaster prediction, detection, and disaster relief;
• Organizational basis and operation:
  • developing awareness about the use of telecommunications/ICTs in emergency situation;
  • assisting Member States as regards emergency telecommunications needs;
  • developing guidelines for emergency telecommunication.

ITU, in its work in this area, has established strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, representatives of some of which - WMO, UNGTAD, FAO - participate in this HLS forum.

ITU also has close cooperation with international and national agencies and organizations (e.g. meteorological agencies, EUMETSAT, ESA, JAXA, NOAA, NASA, RSA, Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG), etc.) involved in climate monitoring and emergency telecommunications.

Some satellite operators have delivered satellite terminals to ITU free of charge which BDT then sends on to emergency zones.

At the same time I would like to stress that the main driving force in all our activities are you, the ITU Member States and Sector members.

Let me then introduce all our speakers for this session and then I will give each of them the floor.

Our opening Speaker is H.E. Mr. Siddhartha Behura, the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of India. As with other Asian countries, India has being affected by extreme weather events, such as floods and hurricanes during the past few years. The fast development of the telecommunication sector in India not only creates new economical opportunities but has already saved thousands lives by providing early warning information and employing emergency telecommunications in disaster relief operations.