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INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS AND INNOVATION

Increase in natural disasters set to overwhelm

national emergency telecommunications plans

ccess Partnership, a leading global public policy firm for the technology United Nations Environment Programme
sector, has published a Fair Tech Institute White Paper, outlining the urgency (UNEP) estimates that climate change
Awith which governments and the private sector need to leverage satellite adaptation and natural disaster damages
technology for more effective disaster management efforts in Africa and globally. could cost developing countries between
The annual number of natural disasters are expected to increase by 37% from 442 to USD 280 billion to USD 500 billion per year
541 occurrences by 2025. by 2050.
The White Paper comes after organisations like the Intergovernmental Panel on To reduce the socio-economic impact
Climate Change, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, Vision of of climate-related disasters, governments
Humanity and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) all agree that weather- are encouraged to increase investment
related disasters are likely to become more frequent and widespread in coming in physical and social infrastructure and
years, thanks to climate change. allow for the upscaling and acceleration of
According to the White Paper, the increased frequency of natural disasters is set far-reaching, transformational adaptation
to overwhelm national emergency telecommunications plans (NETPs) and, terrestrial strategies. This includes the effective use
service providers currently in place, to minimise and mitigate the human and of satellite networks and next-generation
economic cost of adverse weather events. satellite technology.
“Putting in place satellite services and next generation satellite-enabled “As shown by this study, we need
connectivity can mean the difference between saving millions of lives and losing a concerted effort to fix the underlying
them,” says Ivan Suarez, senior policy manager at Access Partnership, adding that inefficiencies of our current, existing
this move can also reduce government expenditure during and post-disaster. communication systems. The paper
Providing unique data, the document forecasts the economic impact and future highlights that the availability of
burden countries will face if disaster communications planning is not taken seriously. communication networks is directly
“The impact of natural disasters will be concentrated among low- and middle-income related to the ability to respond quickly to
countries, which are relatively less prepared to adapt,” adds Suarez. emergencies,” Suarez said.
The paper shows that natural disasters currently cost the agricultural sector The White Paper emphasises the
of these economies more than USD 108 billion in damaged crop and livestock need for the development of emergency
production. Should the level of financing in climate adaptability remain low, the telecommunication plans (NETPs), given
the crucial role telecoms
can play in saving
lives and protecting
communities when
disasters strike.
Considering their
unpreparedness to bear
the financial costs and the
need to protect human
lives, collaborative efforts
between governments
and the private sector
are urgently needed
to maintain adequate
NETPs.
For more information
on the White Paper
and best practice for
effective policy planning,
download “The Role of
Satellite Communications
in Disaster Management”.

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