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Public Warning Network Challenge
The disaster that followed the tsunami of December 26, 2004 has challenged
providers of information and communications technologies to find ways to
improve public warning. Warning systems must be able to alert the public about
major hazards and should communicate warning messages via all available
notification methods.
The Challenge
Collaborative actions are necessary to assure that standards-based, all-media,
all-hazards public warning becomes an essential infrastructure component
available to all societies worldwide.
Because the Internet will play a significant role in the efficient
distribution of these time-critical alerts, the Internet
Society (ISOC) has
launched the 'Public Warning Network Challenge' - a call for
collaborative action in
order to make such public warning systems a reality.
"Any organization involved in an aspect of public warning is invited to endorse the 'Public Warning Network Challenge' and indicate how they are able to collaborate on this goal" said Lynn
St .Amour, President and
CEO of the Internet Society. "This is an excellent
opportunity to show how
diverse organizations and entities, supported by the
Internet, can work
together to develop services
that will enhance the
safety of millions of people."
The WSIS Declaration of Principles has already highlighted
the need to pay
special attention to conditions that pose severe threats to
development, such
as natural disasters. The WSIS Action Plan goes on to make a
specific call to
establish monitoring systems, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT), to forecast and
monitor the impact
of natural and man-made disasters particularly in developing
countries, least developed countries
and small economies.
To support these goals, The 'Public Warning Network Challenge' will
provide an
enabling environment in which stakeholders everywhere can
cooperate to bring
the benefits of ICT applications to the area of disaster prevention.
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