Forum in Jamaica to focus on effective use of ICT in disaster management in the Caribbean Region

Geneva, 31 August 2006 "” The 2005 hurricane season wreaked havoc in the Caribbean region. Never before had the Atlantic seen 27 tropical storms "” including four in category 5 "” and as many as 15 hurricanes in one season. The storms left a death toll of 2 280 people in their wake, with more than three million people displaced and an estimated USD 100 billion in economic damage. In response to a call for action from the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-06) to develop ICT-based solutions to cope with emergency situations, the International Telecommunication Union along with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) is organizing the Caribbean Forum 2006 on Using ICT for Effective Disaster Management. The event, which will be held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, 26-28 September 2006, aims at improving early-warning communication and disaster preparedness in the Caribbean region while reducing vulnerability to natural disasters and mitigating their effects through the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT).

Access to information is of paramount importance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster for relief agencies to coordinate search-and-rescue, medical intervention and rehabilitation efforts. There is an urgent need to establish effective and comprehensive communication links between the affected area, national disaster response facilities, and with the larger international community. This is particularly important for countries with fragile economies and countries with special needs, such as least developed countries and Small Island Developing States.

The three-day forum will address policy, regulatory and technological issues related to emergency telecommunications and look at practical ways by which ICT can help mitigate disasters.

It will assess the impact of recent disasters, discuss the role of ICT in disaster risk reduction and examine the role of governments, regulatory authorities, United Nations humanitarian organizations, non-governmental organizations, and telecommunication providers during and after emergency situations. The objective is to put in place the necessary ICT platform for disaster prevention, preparedness and relief in the region.

The event is intended for senior government and telecommunication regulatory officials, private sector organizations, disaster management agencies from the Caribbean Region, Western Caribbean Donor Groups, and civil society.

Register now for the Forum

Registration is free and open. To register, click here.

For further information, please contact:

Media

Mr Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information
ITU
Tel: +41 22 730 6135
E-mail Contact

Delegates

Mr Cosmas Zavazava
Head
Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Emergency Telecommunications
ITU
Tel: + 41 22 730 5447
E-mail Contact

Note to Editors

In August 2005, hurricane Katrina took 1 302 lives and caused an estimated USD 50 billion in economic damage. In September, hurricane Rita caused extensive damage in Cuba and in the United States and reported 119 deaths. Hurricane Stan followed in October bringing about landslides and flooding in Guatemala and El Salvador resulting in the loss of 670 lives. Five weeks after Katrina, hurricane Wilma, the most intense and longest sustained hurricane recorded in history affected Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Cuba, Bahamas and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico with wind speeds exceeding 300 km an hour. Forty-five thousand people were evacuated in Mexico alone and damage to physical infrastructure was estimated at USD 500 million.

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