A National Early Warning System: Sri Lanka (NEWS:SL)

Rohan Samarajiva, LIRNEasia & Vanguard Foundation

Malathy Knight John, Institute of Policy StudiesColombo, 15 March 2005

Background Desperate need for a national warning system

First contact of tsunami around 0827-0836 hrs Sri Lanka time in vicinity of Kalmunai

Waves kept hitting points further north and south (and then the West Coast) over the next 3+ hours

No warning of tsunami based on seismic or tsunami warnings

No warning based on what happened on the East Coast

Hawai’i changed their entire disaster warning/ response system because 61 people died in the 1960 tsunami

We lost over 35,000 . . . .

Introducing the organizations that produced the concept paper Vanguard Foundation (under

incorporation) Vanguard Management Services (Pvt) Limited,

floated Vanguard Foundation, to conceptualize and implement its corporate efforts in the areas of disaster relief, rehabilitation and preparedness. The Vanguard Foundation will promote activities, polices, and market based initiatives to improve national disaster preparedness, mitigation strategies, and the flow of expertise to meet and deal with a wide variety of national disasters.

Introducing the organizations that produced the concept paper LIRNEasia

LIRNEasia, a regional ICT [information and communication technologies] policy and regulation capacity building organization, incorporated as a non-profit organization under section 21 of the Companies Act, No. 17 of 1982 of Sri Lanka in 2004 and funded at present by the IDRC and infoDev, a unit of the World Bank. The organization is physically located in Colombo but works throughout the Asian region. Its primary functions are research, training and informed intervention in policy and regulatory processes. Its current projects include research in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia that deal with different approaches to network expansion and research on the telecom strategies of the poor.

Consultative, participatory process International input

International disaster communications expert (Annex 6) Expert referees, including those at news conference

Local input (Annexes 1,2,3,4) Local team: Rohan Samarajiva, Malathy Knight-John and

Ayesha Zainudeen, assisted by others Expert consultation: January 26th 2005

Alumni of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (out of 143) Those who responded to the advertisement

Web comments, including on discussion document Video news conference on 10th of February Ceylon Chamber of Commerce event on 17th of February

Example of consultative process (1st of 11 pages)

Public Warning as component of a Risk Management System

Local information Global information

Hazard monitoring & detection

Appropriate action

Timely, accurate,

unambiguous & credible

WARNINGWARNINGWARNING

WARNING

Hazardous

Event

Mitigation

Recovery

Preparedness

Response

Risk Management

System

Education & awareness raising

Focus of this concept paper

What is not included Hazard detection & monitoring systems,

e.g., Indian Ocean tsunami warning system,

including seismometers and deep-sea tsunami sensors

Cyclone detection and monitoring system Emergency response functions

Police and other agencies responsible for evacuation, etc.

Disaster awareness and education

Why? Accept that first-best solution is an integrated

comprehensive risk management system But, in an environment of “all talk, little action,”

best approach is to focus on critical component and fix it

Chose public warning because it is important, low-cost and solvable, though few are paying attention to it and because we have expertise Our model

http://www.partnershipforpublicwarning.org/ppw/docs/11_25_2002report.pdf

Why public warning? “Public safety is a fundamental duty of . . .

government. . . . Government provides for first responder and emergency management infrastructure to prevent hazards from becoming disasters and to lead the response and recovery from disasters when they do happen. Public safety is a challenge for business and industry. Safety is a key element of sound business practice driven by ethical principles, the marketplace, government regulations, and liability laws. Public safety is also the responsibility of citizens who are expected to take action not only to protect themselves and their loved ones, but also to make society safer through their community actions and their jobs.”

Importance of partnerships Public warning being a classic public good,

governments traditionally provide it Past 50 years experience shows that this may not be the

highest priority for government in Sri Lanka Private sector can complement because of

existing resources and performance orientation Civil society has social infrastructure at grass

roots and caring characteristics Oversight can be provided only when multiple

players involved

Parameters of effective Public Warning For ALL-hazards

Detection and monitoring can be separate, with necessary expertise

Linked to regional and global systems Also local detection systems for local hazards

Large role for public-private partnerships Involve the people in hazard detection as

well as dissemination and response Diversity and redundancy in dissemination

Why all-hazard system in Sri Lanka? Statement at expert consultation: “Sri Lankans

are good at installing but not at maintaining” Problem is more about systems than technologies

(though technologies matter) Have to keep systems in perfect operational

order, though they are used infrequently Best method is to have an all-hazard system that will be

used more frequently than a single-hazard system We can concentrate the best people in one place

for the task Cheaper

Role of ICTs Hazard detection and monitoring

Equipment People

The differences between earthquake and tsunami warnings

National or local early warning center Could include emergency response as in

Hawai’i or just the warning center

Use of multiple sources of information from people and organizations in SL People, through SMS and phone calls to

119 center 37 regional police operations rooms Hotels Other 24/7 365 days/year organizations

Need to assess before issuing warning

National All-Hazards Warning Body(statutory body)

Met. Dept

Geog. Survey & Mines Bureau

Int’l warning systems Etc...

EmergencyServices

Armedforces

DistrictAuthorities

Etc…Media

Detection and assessment of hazard

Issue warning

Telecom Operators

Hazard detection agencies

Private sector, Civil Society

Partnership

NEWS:SL sends warning/alert in multiple ways To electronic media

Pre-agreed formats, procedures, safeguards Police operations rooms, through stand-

alone communications network Also to District Secretaries

Telecom networks Cell broadcasts

“Virtual telecom network” for religious centers; use of bells, speakers

Also on web; no limits

Importance of telecom network Existence of network

Aceh, Kalmunai, Trinco Congestion issues Disaster prepared networks Disaster recovery Regulatory issues

A National All-Hazards Warning System Public warning is

A public good: not supplied by market CORE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT

Two options: Government supply: PLAN A

Variant: Government delegates task to non-government entity

Public good is ‘bundled’ with private goods, supplied by private sector: PLAN B

PLAN A: The Island of Good

Governance Government supplies warnings, funded through

taxation Design elements and safeguards to ensure high

performance: provisions for deployment of proper expertise and equipment, adequate levels of funding, insulation from day-to-day political interference, and transparency and accountability (necessary safeguards in

light of substantial independence given)

Will require large effort and time in order to get it right

National All-Hazards Warning Body(statutory body)

Met. Dept

Geog. Survey & Mines Bureau

Int’l warning systems Etc...

EmergencyServices

Armedforces

DistrictAuthorities

Etc…Media

Detection and assessment of hazard

Issue warning

Telecom Operators

Hazard detection agencies

Private sector, Civil Society

Partnership

National All-Hazards Warning Body

Geog. Survey & Mines Bureau

Int’l warning systems

Issue warning

EmergencyServices

Armedforces

DistrictAuthorities

Etc…MediaTelecom Operators

Hazard detection agencies

Private sector, Civil Society

Partnership

Met. Dept

Plan A, Variant In Bangladesh, the Red Crescent Society

operates the cyclone warning system Government provides some funds and

meteorological data Tightly integrated to community based

awareness and shelter programs Many lives have been saved

PLAN B: Private Sector Takes Action

Private sector establishes warning systems Likely to take the lead

Insurance Tourism

Can complement national system when it comes into being

Requires government support (indemnification, access to hazard information, etc.), especially if extending outside employees and guests to adjacent communities

PLAN B: Private Sector Takes Action

Private sector supplies warnings Unlikely that a national all-hazard system will

emerge E.g., coastal hotels will cooperate on a tsunami and

cyclone warning system while interior hotels will focus on other hazards

This is second or third best solution; something is better than nothing for now

Action… Immediate:

Medium-term (six months from now):

Long-term:

Refer to Section IV: The Way Forward

Key points Urgent need for effective system to convey

information on hazards to all citizens, visitors and organizations Systems, not limited to technology

System should be at national level, with links to regional/international systems

It should convey authoritative watches and warnings to the media, emergency response authorities, and relevant others

It should be an all-hazards center, with best possible governance and independence

May be complemented by industry-run warning systems

Concept Paper (& some comments) available at:

www.lirneasia.net www.vanguardfoundationlanka.org

Sent to President, March 5th 2005 Presidential Commission March 15th 2005

Parliamentary Select Committee, March ? 2005