POTENTIAL OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR MONITORING, MANAGING NATURAL DISASTERS STRESSED, AS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONTINUES HUMANITARIAN SEGMENT

Press Release
ECOSOC/5915

POTENTIAL OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR MONITORING, MANAGING NATURAL DISASTERS STRESSED, AS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONTINUES HUMANITARIAN SEGMENT

New technologies could provide more accurate information, facilitate communication, and permit the monitoring of emergency conditions and impact, Andrew Maskrey, Senior Adviser, Emergency Response Division, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told the Economic and Social Council this afternoon, as it continued the humanitarian segment of its 2000 substantive meeting. The Council was considering special economic, humanitarian and disaster-relief assistance through a panel discussion on natural disasters.

Technology applications, however, failed to produce the intended benefits when a supportive institutional and organizational environment for managing the technology did not exist, he continued. Response capacities could be strengthened by mutually supportive activity streams, such as developing risk scenarios to make all stakeholders aware of all elements of the risks and available capacities for managing them. Also, early warning and communications capabilities could be developed, contingency and recovery plans could be formulated, and stakeholders could be brought together to delegate roles and responsibilities.

The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) and moderator for this afternoon’s panel discussion, Catherine Ann Bertini, said natural disasters had tripled since the 1960s. People in desperate poverty often could not cope with the magnitude of disasters. Desperate actions often ended in outcomes that prevented their living through a subsequent disaster. People migrated to cities, degraded their immediate environment, used marginal soil and did other detrimental things to cope with disaster-related problems.

Pablo Ricalde, Senior Adviser and WFP Information Systems Specialist, said planning for disaster must begin with development. Preventive measures must be part of development planning in disaster-prone areas. In Mozambique, the WFP had discharged its responsibility with the aid of technology, such as geographic information systems for risk analyses. Remote sensing was used to calculate areas at risk of flooding, enabling better targeting of people perceived to be most in danger.

Also participating in the panel were Sergio Camacho, Expert on Space Applications of the Office of Outer Space Affairs, and Ross Mountain, Director and Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Economic and Social Council - 1a - Press Release ECOSOC/5915 31st Meeting (PM) 19 July 2000

Alfredo Witsche-Cestari, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkey, made a presentation to the Council. He said many countries requiring disaster management had know-how and technology without being able to discern and access linkage between the various levels and sectors. It was difficult to keep up because technology for disaster management had to be absolutely up-to-date to be effective for mitigation, preparedness, prevention and rehabilitation.

Emmanuel Dierckx de Casterle, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mozambique, and Ricardo Tichauer, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Venezuela, also made presentations to the Council.

The Council began its panel discussion by viewing a video by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on “Myths and Realities of Natural Disasters”. After their presentations, the panellists answered delegates’ questions.

The Council will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, 20 July, to continue the humanitarian affairs segment of its 2000 session with a consideration of special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this afternoon to continue the humanitarian affairs segment of its 2000 session. As part of the segment focus on special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance, the Council was scheduled to hold a panel discussion on natural disasters.

Panel Discussion

The Council began its panel discussion by viewing a video by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), entitled “Myths and Realities of Natural Disasters”.

CATHERINE ANN BERTINI, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) and moderator for this afternoon’s panel discussion, said the purpose of the panel was to discuss the best responses that could be taken by the many people around the world whose homes and communities were visited by natural disasters.

The number of natural disasters had tripled since the 1960s, she said. They had increased in severity, and more people were at risk. According to experts, those trends would continue. The prominent issue was people’s inability to cope with such crises. While natural disasters had always been around, people often could not cope with their magnitude because of the desperate poverty in which they lived.

She said that actions taken in desperation by disaster victims often negatively impacted the possibility of them living through a subsequent disaster. People migrated to cities, degraded their immediate environment, used marginal soil and did all sorts of other detrimental things to cope with disaster-related problems. While today’s discussion was about a reaction to natural crises, it should never be forgotten that it was important to build sustainable environments for disaster-prone areas.

EMMANUEL DIERCKX DE CASTERLE, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mozambique, said he had lived through a major disaster in Mozambique this year and knew first hand how technology could mitigate the effects of natural disasters. During the recent floods, as in all disaster-management instances using technology, the first resource was access to technology knowledge, meaning a knowledge of what technologies were available and how to use them.

In a situation as complex as that in Mozambique, he said, coordinating the accessibility of that knowledge was extremely difficult. There were international partners providing information to the country. That information had to be conveyed to people in tiny, remote villages barely on the map and having no electricity. Outlining the basic requirements for a proper technological readiness capable of mitigating and managing natural disasters, he emphasized the financial resources needed for up-to-date equipment and for ensuring the supply of necessary human resources. Technology served little purpose, he said, if the human resources to access them were not available in a country.

ALFREDO WITSCHE-CESTARI, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkey, said the disasters in Turkey were an example of situations that happened in many developing countries. The part of the country that had been affected by the earthquake was the developmental equivalent of Europe. However, technology had been immediately disrupted by the first disaster in August of last year, debilitating critical elements of the national communication infrastructure. By December, when disaster struck again, the technology was more firmly in place to help mitigate and manage the situation. By the past spring, information was flowing within minutes about every aspect of the disaster.

Describing a complex network of those involved in delivering assistance ranging from the municipal to the international levels, he said each had its own data base and communications channel. In many countries requiring disaster management, know-how and technology were present, but the linkage between the various levels and sectors was difficult to discern and access. That was particularly true because the technology for disaster management had to be absolutely up-to-date in order to be effective for mitigation, preparedness, prevention and rehabilitation with regard to natural disasters. In a network of satellites, for example, geographic technology tools were becoming easier to use. In the case of a disaster, they could determine precise conditions within minutes.

RICARDO TICHAUER, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Venezuela, said heavy rains over that country had triggered rock, land and mudslides, uprooted trees and destroyed homes on Venezuela's northern coast. One of the major irrigation dams, El Guapo, had even collapsed.

The first reaction had been by the Government of Venezuela, which, in an immediate salvage operation, rescued over 100,000 inhabitants. Some 30,000 people, however, were estimated to have disappeared, while damage to infrastructure was some $3.2 billion. After the salvage and rescue operation, the Government established its own emergency commission.

Both the international community and the United Nations system reacted very quickly. A technical study proved that memory was short, and that crises such as these had happened before, but without any humanitarian intervention. Assistance this time had come from the international community, the United Nations system, the World Bank, the Inter American Bank, regional and subregional banking bodies and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The non-governmental organization community had also participated.

He said the main lesson learned was that no matter how well prepared a country, it was never enough. Adequacy and contingency systems were needed. Cooperation was also crucial in key moments. Preparedness was also essential in facing future disasters.

SERGIO CAMACHO, Expert on Space Applications of the Office of Outer Space Affairs, said disaster management had many components, including mitigation, prevention and rehabilitation. Mitigation was probably the most important and most urgent in a crisis. Satellites were indispensable for that work, which involved government and non-governmental actors, as well as international ones. In those efforts, information was critical for making decisions. Once maps were drawn up, risk assessments were laid out and decisions were made.

Satellite information was equally indispensable in relief and rehabilitation efforts, he said. It was useful for forecasts and for improving preparedness. Regardless of a country’s technological development, information regarding natural disasters had to be shared at all levels.

PABLO RICALDE, Senior Adviser, WFP Information Systems Specialist, said planning for disaster must begin with development. He believed that preventive measures must be part and parcel of development planning in disaster-prone areas. Early response to such crises was more of a priority than anything else. Yet, mobilizing funds before the signs of an emergency were clear was nevertheless difficult.

He said that, in Mozambique, the WFP had discharged most of its responsibility with the aid of technology. That approach had been successful. Geographical information systems, for example, were utilized in risk analyses. Remote sensing was used to calculate the various areas that were more at risk of flooding. That allowed for better targeting of the people in the areas perceived to be most in danger.

He said flood contingency planning was based on regional and weather forecasts, geographical information systems, ground stations and satellite imaging. Based on that, contingency plans could be developed. Still, neither the existence of contingency plans nor early planning sped up the donor response.

He said technology needed to be better understood and less feared. Information systems must be worked into an integrated environment where hardware, software, trained personnel and procedure worked together.

ANDREW MASKREY, Senior Adviser, Emergency Response Division, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said new technologies could provide more accurate information, facilitate communication, and permit the monitoring of emergency conditions and impact. However, technology applications sometimes failed to produce the intended benefits. That was particularly the case when a supportive institutional and organizational environment for management of the technology did not exist.

He said that if the application of technology was to lead to enhanced response preparedness, capacity-building efforts needed to address a range of critical extra-technological issues, in such areas as generating risk scenarios, ensuring that information reached the users, building disaster inventories and early warning systems, ensuring sustainability, and investing in local-level information systems.

The process of strengthening response capacities involved a number of mutually supportive activity streams, he said. Assisting in the development of risk scenarios and information systems would make all the stakeholders aware of both the range, frequency and distribution of risks, and of available capacities for managing those risks. Other activities were: strengthening early warning and communications capabilities; formulating contingency and recovery plans to deal with expected risks; and bringing stakeholders together to agree on roles and responsibilities. Strengthening response capacities in that way would contribute to the development of a broader risk management framework, as well as a supportive environment for disaster recovery.

On the basis of experience in a large number of programme countries, the UNDP could assist countries to make an informed technology choice, based not only on the availability of new technologies, but also on an analysis of need and of what could best work in given contextual constraints. Ultimately, for a technology to be appropriate, it must be able to be appropriated by the end-users, he said.

Question-and-Answer Session

A representative noted the emphasis placed on developing human resources to access the technologies available for managing natural disasters. Others asked for more specific information on coordination of efforts in crisis situations. What could be done to overcome the obstacles to using technology for disaster mitigation and management? the panellists were asked. What kind of treatment had been given for psychological trauma following the earthquakes in Turkey?

A representative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said the Tampere Convention had been signed by 47 Member States. But of those 47, only six had ratified it. The treaty would enter into force after instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, or definitive signature had been deposited by 30 States. The Convention had been deposited at the United Headquarters with the Secretary-General.

(The Convention addresses the use of telecommunication in responding to natural disasters)

Mr. TICHAUER said land-use planning was incorporated in rehabilitation projects in Venezuela. It was also a key element in most of the reconstruction activities in the country. South-South cooperation was one of the elements underlined in the process of disaster preparedness, as well.

Mr. WITSCHE-CESTARI said that in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes, Turkish people were going through tremendous trauma -- 6 million people were traumatized. That was one of the key priorities to be addressed. Counselling was an area in which many efforts were undertaken in the first days following the earthquake. The question was how did one ensure sustainability in treating psychological trauma, since it was something which did not just go away. Disaster management training programmes were being prepared with the World Health Organization (WHO), with an in-built capacity for trauma treatment.

Mr. DIERCKX DE CASTERLE said enough could never be done in terms of disaster preparedness. The damage to Mozambique was about $250 million, yet reconstruction was around $450 million. Why the difference? Because the Government, on the advice of the international community, had decided to rebuild differently. For example, roads were being built on dykes.

He said had the authorities in Mozambique known what was happening in the other countries where the rivers originated that finally ended up in the Indian Ocean, much more could have been done in preparedness for the floods.

Mr. RICALDE said a lot had been done through coordination. The use of technology in Kosovo was achieving excellent results. Similar successes had taken place in East Timor and Mozambique. Mr. MASKREY said information used must minimize loss and risk through natural disasters. Human development and capacity building to manage technology must also be pursued. There was a need to institute processes to help countries to choose appropriate technology, as well.

Mr. CAMACHO emphasized the need for greater coordination. It was also necessary to establish a global system for disaster management that used satellite technology.

A number of representatives commented on the need to take precautions against human factors exacerbating natural disasters, for example, through shoddy construction. One representative asked what could be done to make environmentally sensitive countries less vulnerable. Another asked for clarification on improving response by linking prevention and sustainable development. What about situations that did not require a fully mounted international response? How could forecasting and preparedness be coordinated at the subregional and international levels?

Mitigation measures taken in natural disaster situations should be a planning tool in developing countries, one representative noted. Another said capacity-building was the best way to ensure that a nation could rely on itself to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Still another said prevention was better than a cure.

ROSS MOUNTAIN, Director and Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction underlined the general belief that prevention was superior to cure. Addressing a delegate’s question, he said that progress achieved following last year’s adoption of General Assembly resolution GA/54/219 on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction: successor arrangements had been slower than anticipated, but was proceeding. He understood the desire for a fuller briefing and would see if such a briefing was possible in the next few days.

He said that when natural disaster struck, rapidity was vital. It was important that information and resources be available to those on the ground immediately. Recently, there had been a great effort to build up national capacity. Satellite imagery availability was also vital. Availability of software for a good database to track damage and specify needed supplies was also necessary. In regard to an emergency telecommunications project, he said there was good collaboration with the private sector. Logistics were also important.

Mr. MASKREY agreed with delegates’ comments that a conceptual approach was much more appropriate in the management of disasters. He concurred with points made about the local dimension, and said there was a possibility of integrating approaches. He also agreed with suggestions for subregional arrangements. The possibility of sharing approaches and technologies between countries on a horizontal basis was an important element deserving of support.

In her closing remarks, Ms. BERTINI said that disaster mitigation, planning and preparedness were critical, and perhaps more important than disaster response. Coordination was key. Governments had to coordinate among their ministries, the United Nations among its agencies, and bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations had to coordinate with everyone. Funding had to be quick and sustained. Training was essential at all levels, and the continued renewal of technical and people capacity was critical. Regional coordination was important, as well.

In the area of technology, there was a need to build capacity, to make sure that technology was appropriate for use at national and local levels, and to make sure that use was coordinated and compatible. Effective information management was crucial to providing necessary adequate, accurate and timely information in which common standards must obtain. Technology was key to mitigation, preparation, planning and response.

She emphasized that none of the above was free. All countries must look to their own priorities to ensure that they were developing their own capacities to deal with disasters.

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