CONFERENCE PROGRAM REGISTRATION VENUE VISA

 

GEOSS Workshop XXXII
Mitigation and Management of Disasters through Communications
Monday, 30 November 2009 ● ى8:00 - 18:00ى ●ىىTapa Ballroom 3


Organized in association with IEEE ICEO and ComSoc, OGC, and ISPRS
Organizers:ىFrancoise Pearlman,ىWestern Resources and Applications
Al Gasiewski, University of Colorado
Bill Semancik, US Department of Defense
Mehmet Ulema, Manhattan College
Doug Zuckerman,ىTelcordia Technologies, Inc.

This workshop is a free, co-located event but registration is required; to register go to http://www.ieee-earth.org/events/geoss-workshop-xxxii-disasters.

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a complex “system of systems,” including sensors, communication systems, spatio-temporal data infrastructures and other components essential for observing the Earth on all relevant scales and disseminating this information to users for a host of important societal benefits.فف The GEOSS workshop XXXII – Mitigation and Management of Disasters through Communications, will focus specifically on communications systems and infrastructure for GEOSS, with a special emphasis on communications during and after disasters and on communications systems in developing countries.

Workshop Theme
The Workshop will explore the status of existing telecommunications systems and data networks for GEOSS. The discussion will focus on the ability to both build on existing systems and take advantage of new telecommunication services to develop a framework for timely and widespread communication of information to support prediction, mitigation, and management of disasters. Examples of events include rapid processes such as earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis, events of moderate time scale such as flooding and infectious outbreak, and slower events such as droughts. The theme of the workshop supports Group on Earth Observation (GEO) tasks DI-09-03 (Warning system for disasters), and AR-09-04 Dissemination and distribution networks.

Workshop Objectives
The workshop will address the interplay between GEO and telecommunications systems for disaster mitigation and management by focusing attention on the following questions:ف
1)فففففWhat are the key aspects of GEO which might impact communication infrastructure used in disaster mitigation and management,
2)فففففWhat types of communication services can be used during/after disasters to provide improved notification to individuals and communities. Services to be discussed include networks supporting communications using cell phones, PDAs, inexpensive laptops PCs, and other user terminal devices. Fixed, mobile, and ad hoc networks will be discussed.
3)فففففWhat are the special needs and issues associated with the development of telecommunications systems for disaster mitigation and management in developing countries? An overarching question is how GEO can create outcomes that optimally leverage the usage of existing telecommunications systems and development of new telecommunications systems for user needs in disaster-related communications.

By answering these questions the workshop will serve to enhance and improve the coordination between the telecommunication industry and worldwide user base of GEO disaster-related information. The workshop will include breakout sessions designed to address the above key questions. A report on the conclusions of the breakout groups will be forwarded to GEO after the meeting.

Workshop Details
This one day workshop will focus on advanced communication systems critical to the dissemination of timely disaster alerts, and to assist in disaster and post-disaster management. Discussions will include approaches to communications technologies in both developed countries as well as in bandwidth limited situations of developing countries.فKey representatives from industry, academia, and government will be providing invited talks on these and related issues that impact GEOSS implementation for disaster mitigation and relief.

Workshop Details
This one day workshop will be co-located with the IEEE Globecom 09 conference. It will be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, in Honolulu Hawaii on Monday November 30, 2009 from 9 to 17:30. The workshop will offer a selection of invited speakers noted for their expertise in the GEOSS Disaster Management societal benefit area including various aspects of advanced communications. Ample time will be allocated to breakout sessions, where small groups will exchange views and provide proposed approaches to answer selected workshop objectives. A summary of the break-out group discussions will be presented to the reconvened audience. Workshop presentations and break-out sessions summaries will be collected as part of the workshop proceedings and made available to attendees and others on the IEEE Committee on Earth Observation (ICEO) website at ieee-earth.org.

GEOSS Background
The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is envisioned to cover all aspects of Earth observations and by this will introduce a new capability for monitoring and providing data on environmental processes. GEOSS is a complex “system of systems,” including sensors, communication systems, spatio-temporal data infrastructures and other components essential for observing the Earth on all relevant scales and disseminating this information to users for a host of important societal benefits. In addition, GEOSS includes models and data fusion processes to create usable information that is essential for decision making from the observational data. The 2003 Earth Observations Summit established the objective “to monitor continuously the state of the Earth, to increase understanding of dynamic Earth processes, to enhance prediction of the Earth system, and to further implement our international environmental treaty obligations”.ف GEOSS goals are to achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustained observations of the Earth system, in order to improve monitoring of the state of the Earth, increase understanding of Earth processes, and enhance prediction of the behavior of the Earth system.

The GEOSS 10-year Implementation Plan states that GEOSS will provide the overall conceptual and organizational framework for integrated global Earth observations to meet user needs.ف GEOSSفwill be a system of systems consisting of existing and future Earth observation systems, supplementing but not supplanting their own mandates and governance arrangements. Itفwill provide the institutional mechanisms for ensuring the necessary level of coordination, for strengthening and supplementing existing Earth observation systems, and for reinforcing and supporting component systems in carrying out their mandates.ف

The emphasis of GEOSS is on societal benefits, initially in nine key areas. Sound management ofفthe Earth system, in both its natural and human aspects, requires information that is timely, ofفknown quality, long-term, and global. Interpretation and use of Earth observations requires information on drivers and consequences of change, including geo-referenced socio-economic data and indicators.ف The nine areas addressed in the GEOSS Implementation Plan are:

ܧفففففففففDisasters: Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters
ܧفففففففففHealth: Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being
ܧفففففففففEnergy: Improving management of energy resources
ܧفففففففففClimate: Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variabilityفand change
ܧفففففففففWater: Improving water resource management through better understanding of the waterفcycle
ܧفففففففففWeather: Improving weather information, forecasting and warning
ܧفففففففففEcosystems: Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marineفresources
ܧفففففففففAgriculture: Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification
ܧفففففففففBiodiversity: Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity

Although all of the above societal benefit areas (SBAs) of the Implementation Plan are important for GEOSS, this workshop will focus specifically on communications systems and infrastructure for GEOSS, with a special emphasis on communications during and after disasters and on communications systems in developing countries.ف

This workshop is a free, co-located event but registration is required; to register go to http://www.ieee-earth.org/events/geoss-workshop-xxxii-disasters.

For more details on the workshop go to http://www.ieee-earth.org/ and select "conferences/workshops."


WORKSHOP PROGRAM

Session 1: Openingف- Moderator: Jay Pearlman, IEEE

ف 8:00

Welcome and Opening
Doug Zuckerman,فTelcordia Technologies

ف 8:15

Logistics and Introduction to Workshop Objectivesففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففف فففففففففففففف
Al Gasiewski,فUniversity of Colorado

ف 8:35

Around the Room Introductions
Francoise Pearlman,فIEEE

Session 2: GEOSS and Disaster Managementف- Moderator: Al Gasiewski, University of Colorado

ف 8:45Introduction to GEOSS and Approach to Disaster Management – GEONET
Jay Pearlman, IEEE
ف 9:10Outcome from GEOSS Workshop XXX – Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (Kampala)
Ian Dowman, International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (via WEBEX & telecom)

ف 9:25


ف 9:40

ف

Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)
Tom VonDeak, NASA (via WEBEX/telephone)
The GEOSS Infrastructure and Communication Mechanisms, GEONETcast
George Jungbluth, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAAف

10:05

Examples of Warning Systems (GEO task DI-09-03) – Fire Warning and Tsunami
Stuart Weinstein,فNOAA Tsunami Warning Center

10:30

Coffee Break

Session 3: CommunicationفSystemsفDuring andفAfterفDisasters -فModerator: Bill Semancik,فUS Department of Defense

11:00

Experiences withفCommunicationفNetworks for FirstفResponders - Fire Department of New York City
John A. Coloe,فChief of Communications, Fire Department of New York City (FDNY)

11:30

Experiences with Communication Networks for First Responsders - Coast Guards
LT John Titchen, 14th Coast Guard District, Honolulu

12:00

Amateur Radio Communications for Sustaining Communications Post Disastersف
Kevin Bogan,فAH6QO; ARRL Pacific Section Emergency Coordinatorفففففففففف

12:30

Lunch

Session 4: Communication Strategies for Developing Countries -فModerator: Francoise Pearlman,فIEEE

13:30

Special Needs for Communications in Developing Countries and Other Special Situations
Mehmet Ulema, Manhattan College

14:00

Cell Phone based Networks
Ian Akyildiz, Georgia Institute of Technology

14:30

PDA and Small Computers
Markus Hoffman, Alcatel Lucent

15:00

Examples of Warning Systems (GEO task DI-09-03) – Fire Warning and Tsunamiففففففففففففففففففففف
Stuart Weinstein,فNOAA Tsunami Warning Center

15:30

Discussion and Coffee Break

Session 5: Breakout Groups -فModerator:فMehmet Ulema, Manhattan College

16:00

Charter to Breakout Groups: فAl Gasiewski,فUniversity of Coloradoفففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففف

16:15

Breakout Groups
A.فGEOSS and Disaster Management
B.ف
Communication Systems during and after Disasters
C.فCommunication Strategies for Developing Countries

17:30Reports of Breakouts and Panelsف

Session 6: Closing

17:45Conclusions and Workshop Summaryففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففففف
Al Gasiewski,فUniversity of Colorado
Doug Zuckerman,فTelcordia Technologies
18:00Workshop Adjourned