Republic of Mauritius- ICT plays a pivotal role in providing timely disaster response, states Minister Sawmynaden

Information and Communication Technology (ICT), without a doubt, plays a pivotal role in enabling and providing timely disaster response, management and reconstruction after disasters, as well as in promoting disaster risk reduction and preparedness. 

The Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Yogida Sawmynaden, made this statement during the opening ceremony of the 3^rd Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications (GET – 19) this morning at the Intercontinental Mauritius Resort, in Balaclava. The Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr Etienne Sinatambou, and other personalities were also present at the opening ceremony.

In his address, Minister Sawmynaden highlighted that Mauritius is already witnessing extreme weather conditions such as flash floods and strong tropical cyclones that are severely impacting on the livelihood of the nation. He pointed out that new frameworks and innovation projects aiming at updating the national multi-hazard early warning system, as well as embarking on innovative disaster management education, training and public awareness initiatives, are constantly being worked on so as to be in line with Government’s vision to enhance the safety and security of citizens against natural disasters.

New innovative solutions, he emphasised, including Augmented Reality integrated with live drone footage, can be used to provide an immersive experience and enhance decision making capabilities. With regard to emergency management, he added, Internet of Things, which refers to a network of physical objects embedded with sensors and software that collect data and communicate with another, can be used to enhance data collection from the physical environment and quickly communicate this data to different bodies involved in disaster management. 

Minister Sawmynaden underlined that discussions have already been initiated with mobile phone operators to gauge the capabilities of their existing infrastructure and requirements for upgrading so as to accommodate disaster management functionalities in their different networks. He added that his Ministry will endeavour to provide all the necessary facilities, legislations and frameworks for the establishment of any emergency communication network in Mauritius.

Minister Sinatambou, for his part, observed that the Global Forum comes at a critical time where we are witnessing unprecedented calamities around the world. He pointed out that ICT is already being used in climate change mitigation to undertake vulnerability assessment works such as the identification of flood-prone areas. This Forum, he added, is the right platform to discuss opportunities, challenges, and policies, share experiences, and showcase the use of new technologies and services for disaster risk reduction and management.

About the Forum

The 3^rd Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications, organised by the International Telecommunication Union, is being hosted by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority of Mauritius. The theme for GET – 19 is ‘Innovating together to save lives: using technologies in disaster management’ and highlights the role of ICT networks and services in disaster risk reduction and management.

During the three-day Forum, discussions will focus on disaster risk reduction strategies, national emergency telecommunication planning and policies, resilient infrastructure, and national coordination. The event will also highlight the importance of early-warning and monitoring systems as well as showcase and demonstrate the role of new technologies such as big data, Internet of Things, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence, which can be used in detecting, monitoring and predicting disasters as well as their applications in the immediate aftermath of disasters.

GET – 2019 brings together ICT ministers, heads of national ICT regulatory authorities, Chief Executive Officers from the ICT industry, heads of United Nations organisations, and representatives from non-governmental organisations, development banks, regional disaster management organisations and academia.