EW4 All Initiative, where cooperation is the key of success
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and Eurovisioni
Session 343
The EW4ALL initiative of the United Nations is a pivotal experience at the crossroad between technology, innovation, disaster risks reduction and resilience of the infrastructures.
Within a very short span of time (it is supposed to complete its works by 2027), this initiative want to achieve some goals that have not been attended for many years already: to put in security that large part of the population that is not (yet) covered by Early Warning system. A priority list of 30 countries particularly exposed has been identified and now the endeavor is to reach them in time. Unfortunately these countries are not in this list by accident, but also because they are already victims of other specific problems (such as war and conflicts, state’s institutions collapse or climate change hazards) that have made very difficult to provide them with this minimalistic human life protection tools.
Only through a very cooperative approach that will embrace various institutional actors (at the global, regional and national level), the whole society (civil society, economic activities, academia, media) and that will be cross sectorial, the goals could be achieved.
Scope of the seminar will be then to put around the table representatives of the various pieces of the puzzle and see how they are collaborating already (and can do better) in order to achieve these goals in the due time. Also will be discussed the concept of essential communication infrastructure and the various possible solutions to make these infrastructures resilient within 2027.
GIACOMO MAZZONE ,
expert in Climate Change and DRR Switzerland
Secretary General Eurovisioni Italy
Giacomo Mazzone has 30 years’ experience in the information, sport and international relations sectors, trained as a journalist, with a great deal of experience in international companies and organizations (RAI, Euronews, Eurosport, and latest EBU). He also has worked for all traditional media (press, radio, general interest TV) but also new media (all-news channels, Internet portals). Expert in European and international negotiations. in 2021 has been Global project manager at UNDRR, following the development of the project UNDRR-WBU to train media professionals to DRR Disaster Risk Reduction in the countries affected by Climate Changes
https://preparecenter.org/team/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-cooper-4a122715/
After several years as Product Manager in F24 on the National Multi-Channel Belgium Public Warning System and the Stellar EWSS (Early Warning Satellite System by Galileo) for European Alerting Authorities, I have transitioned to a Disaster Preparedness Specialist role at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). My current focus is on the groundbreaking “Early Warnings For All” Initiative, which strives to ensure that by 2027, every person on Earth is safeguarded by an early warning system, and specifically on the Pillar 3 - the Multi-Channel dissemination of the alerts. I have written a PhD on the Resilience of Critical Infrastructures and Societies facing major crises.
https://www.abu.org.my/secretaries-general-of-the-abu/
Experience United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Geneva Area, Switzerland
Head of Content and Channels June 2021 - Present (3 years)
Managing Editor January 2016 - Present (8 years 5 months)
Managing Editor for PreventionWeb, the knowledge sharing platform for the disaster risk reduction (DRR) community:
* Monitor media coverage on disaster risk reduction and produces daily press review reflecting priority issues, latest developments and emerging trends.
* Draft web content and develop editorial packages to disseminate knowledge, best practices and lessons learned on disaster risk reduction.
* Curate DRR voices blog to share knowledge and perspectives from the DRR community: identify potential contributors,
provide editorial guidance and edit final drafts.
* Develop and document policies and editorial guidelines for the publication of content from UNISDR and external partners.
* Supervise consultants and interns working as content editors, provide guidance on editorial practices and perform quality
control.
* Provide training, editorial and technical support to content editors in regional offices.
* Monitor and analyze user feedback, web and social media analytics to inform editorial and technical developments.
* Manage the PreventionWeb Twitter account to promote PreventionWeb knowledge products and services and support community engagement
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C2. Information and communication infrastructure
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C3. Access to information and knowledge
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-government
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C9. Media
EW4ALL initiative has among its scope to test, measure and enhance the resilience of communication infrastructures (C2). The main actors to do so are governments and international organizations that will improve their services to the population (C3 & C7), providing essential services such as information on DRR that could prevent lives losses and damages. In doing so, they shall have to enhance their cooperation with media, that are the crucial point of delivery of information to the whole of the population, including those living in rural and remote areas.
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Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
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Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
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Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
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Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
One of the main scopes of the EW4ALL project is to test, assess and improve the resilience of all communication infrastructures. So this aspect will be explored during the session with the contribution of the specialists in the matter.
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
EW4ALL has as objective to provide to countries that currently have not implemented systems of Early warning to install these systems and to insert it in the countries national strategies for Disaster Risk Prevention and Reduction.
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
EW4ALL initiative aims to cover the whole of the territory within each country with alert systems and to link these services to the national Disasters management organizations. Cities have their own specific issues related to disasters and to the impact of climate change, that need specific implementations.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
EW4ALL is THE UN dedicate initiative trying to reduce the impact of climate change and of hazards related to climate change on populations, with the aim to reduce the loss of lives, of livestocks and the damages to economy and to food chain. So raising awareness around it is very important for the success of the whole action, that is due to be completed by 2027.
EW4ALL UN website: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/early-warnings-for-all
https://wmo.int/activities/early-warnings-all/wmo-and-early-warnings-all-initiative
EW4ALL ITU website: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Emergency-Telecommunications/Pages/Early-Warnings-for-All-Initiative.aspx
EW4ALL UNDRR website: http://www.undrr.org/implementing-sendai-framework/sendai-framework-action/early-warnings-for-all
EW4ALL IFRC website: https://www.ifrc.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/221027_Engaging%20in%20CREWS%20Projects_IFRC%20Guidance_Final_EN.pdf
https://www.abu.org.my/2024/03/06/wbu-undrr-media-saving-lives-initiative-to-focus-on-effective-early-warnings-and-risk-communications/
https://tech.ebu.ch/news/2023/12/ebu-champions-broadcast-innovation-for-global-early-warning-systems-at-cop28