Emergency telecommunications

• Climate change is causing an increase in extreme weather events and disasters. Coupled with population growth and rapid urbanization, these events expose more and more people to risk of death, injury, and displacement. Extreme weather also endangers communities, livelihoods, and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.
• Resilient ICT infrastructure is essential for managing disasters and reducing risks. It assures a timely disaster response by allowing governments, organizations, and other responders to exchange information.
• Resilient ICTs enable communities to receive early warnings and disaster alerts in seconds. They also allow all stakeholders – from first responders to senior officials – to coordinate disaster-management activities.
• ITU helps countries develop and implement National Emergency Telecommunication Plans (NETPs), which are comprehensive plans designed to enable effective communication during emergencies and disasters. ITU is also a leading partner in the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.
• Investments in mitigation, preparedness, and emergency telecommunications enhance long-term country resilience, beyond immediate crisis response. Disaster planning encourages municipalities to assess their ICT capabilities for long-term needs, not just immediate crises. ​
  

• The world's population is growing, so more people will need protection from severe weather/climate events. The UN World Population Prospects Report predicts an increase of 2 billion people by 2050.
• Natural hazards like earthquakes and tsunamis can endanger some places more than others. Rising seas pose a particular threat to Small Island Developing States, where about a quarter of the population lives five metres or less above sea level. The UN warns that 280 million people could be displaced if global temperatures rise to 2^o C above pre-industrial levels.
• Terrestrial communication and power networks are often disrupted or destroyed in severe weather events. 
  

The following are examples of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s work on emergency telecommunications.

Early Warnings for All initiative (EW4All)

• In 2022, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the Early Warnings for All initiative to protect everyone from hazardous weather and climate events. The initiative brings together the broader UN system, governments, civil society and development partners to deliver people-centred, multi-hazard, early-warning systems.
• ITU leads the pillar of EW4All's work on emergency warning dissemination and communication. ITU promotes a multi-channel approach to sending alerts, using radio, television, social media, sirens, mobile phones and satellites.
• National consultation workshops for the implementation of the EW4All initiative have begun in at least 37 high-priority countries, including Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
• ITU endorses cell broadcast and location-based SMS as critical elements for delivering early-warning alerts to populations at risk. According to ITU's Facts and Figures 2023, 95 per cent of the world's population is covered by mobile broadband networks and almost 80 per cent owns a mobile phone, making cell broadcast an effective means to alert populations in seconds. Even in Least Developed Countries, the rate of mobile penetration is 60 per cent and growing.
• An artificial intelligence (AI) subgroup of EW4All has been formed to advance the use of AI in early warning systems.
• The Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems 2023 report and the Early Warnings for All dashboard track progress.
• ITU has activated disaster connectivity maps to rapidly identify connectivity outages during disasters.

National Emergency Telecommunication Plans

• ITU is supporting countries in developing National Emergency Telecommunication Plans (NETPs).
• Key aspects of NETPs include establishing policies and procedures to support resilient ICT networks and services; promoting collaboration across all levels of government and engaging stakeholders during all stages of the disaster response; defining roles and responsibilities to ensure clear communication and efficiency; developing standard operating procedures and contingency plans for various types of emergencies; and facilitating the flow of information between public and private organizations to enhance resilience.

Workshops and forums

• ITU has developed national and regional workshops and forums on the use of ICTs for disaster management. These events have been jointly developed with GSMA and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), led by the World Food Programme and UNICEF. The workshops and forums provide opportunities for stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including UN and non-governmental entities, to exchange views and discuss new opportunities for using ICTs in disaster management and risk reduction.
• ITU is an active member of the ETC, a global network of humanitarian, private sector, and governmental organizations that work together in disasters to provide communication services.

Terrestrial and satellite-based networks

• ​The use of terrestrial systems, land mobile, amateur radio, and International Mobile Telecommunications for broadband public-protection and disaster-relief applications is widely implemented around the world. Network operators are deploying spectrally efficient advanced radio technologies to increase capacity, and advanced systems that will operate anywhere first responders happen to be.
  
• Amateur radio stations, which are distributed throughout the world in populated and sparsely populated areas alike, can provide voice, text, image, and data communications using dedicated radio-frequency spectrum. This allows trained radio operators to reconfigure networks in emergencies.
• Satellite networks are resilient and can complement terrestrial networks to deliver emergency alerts. These systems use recognized standards on readily available equipment, interoperability, and reliability. Mobile-satellite and fixed-satellite services are well suited to disaster response because of their wide coverage areas.
• Short-wave broadcasting is useful in disaster situations. When local networks are destroyed or overloaded, short-wave radios can provide crucial information to affected populations. Its role as "crisis radio" was highlighted during the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The International Radio for Disaster Relief project aims to offer a global platform for terrestrial wireless radio services.
• The Science Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications Subsea Cables initiative aims to equip submarine communications cables with climate- and hazard-monitoring sensors to create a global real-time ocean observation network. Supported by ITU, this network could provide earthquake and tsunami warnings, as well as data on ocean climate change and circulation.

Disaster response and pre-positioning of telecommunications equipment

• ​ITU supports the Tampere Convention by deploying equipment in disasters to restore vital telecommunication links.
• Satellite equipment has been pre-positioned in regions to quickly restore communications links in the event of a disaster. Locations include Harare, Zimbabwe, to support the Southern African Development Community Member States; in Bridgetown, Barbados, to support Caribbean countries and the rest of the Americas; and at the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster warehouse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to support the Asia and Pacific, Arab, and Africa regions.

ITU study groups on spectrum and standards

ITU is responsible for the management and harmonization of the radio-frequency spectrum, work that is essential for terrestrial and satellite networks in emergency telecommunications.

• ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) Study Group Question 3/1 on the use of telecommunications/ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management provides an opportunity for all Member States and Sector Members to participate in shaping a final report on the role of ICTs in disaster response and recovery.
• ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Study Groups dealing with radiocommunication services work through their technical and operational studies. They also provide use cases on issues related to emergency telecommunications.
• ITU standards help enhance network resilience, emergency communications and disaster management.
• ITU Telecommunication Sector (ITU-T) Study Group 2 leads efforts in disaster relief, early warning, and recovery.

For more information on standards-related work on AI-driven disaster management, see:

• ​ ITU/WMO/UNEP Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management
• Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions

Last updated: May 2025​