UN Tsunami Ocean Decade Strategy
United Nations SMART Cables Joint Task Force The primary goal of the Joint Task Force (JTF) for SMART Cables is to establish collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships between governments and telecommunications firms and explore new opportunities to install environmental sensors on subsea cables, approximately every 70 kilometers. The Joint Task Force on SMART Cables was formed in 2012 by three United Nations agencies: the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC). Anel CAM
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accelerate the scope of how we monitor oceans and their continuous influence on climate. There are initiatives already underway bringing together cable suppliers, sponsors, multilateral development banks, and end users to collaborate on ideas to incorporate SMART cables into upcoming projects. Cutting-edge simulations have demonstrated how using SMART cables enables the acquisition of highly accurate measurements of deep ocean temperature and pressure. These measurements ultimately lead to better insights into ocean dynamics and climate patterns. Additionally, placing these sensors on the ocean floor helps reduce the risk of vandalism, a challenge that continues to be a weak spot for other observation systems, such as buoys or land stations. Furthermore, SMART cables help mitigate issues related to inter- ruptions in data transmission, which are often caused by power supply problems or disrupted transmissions through satellite or cellular networks. CURRENT SMART CABLE PROJECTS Initial SMART Cable projects have commenced globally, with one of the most prominent projects connecting Lisbon, Madeira, and the Azores in a ring formation in the waters off the coast of Portugal. The project is fully funded and expected to become operational in 2026. The cable ring will stretch over 3,700 kilometers and have 30-50 SMART sensor modules. This groundbreaking initiative will soon enable the residents of Lisbon to benefit from more advanced tsunami warnings, providing an important improvement to a lead time of at least half an hour. With an investment of €154 Million, the SMART cable system will be able to detect tsunami waves at their inception points. Aligned with the joint UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Resilience Program and GOOS, Portugal plans to share the valuable data gathered through SMART cables with the global community. This collaborative approach will allow other North-Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean countries to enhance their tsunami warning systems and contribute to the broader understanding of these catastrophic events. Portugal's leadership in this innovative endeavor places it at the forefront of climate
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FIGURE 2: A diagram from UNESCO showing goals to improve tsunami danger warnings and notifications in the future for populations living near coastlines.
Submarine Cable System
enhancing the country's connectivity services, technological capabilities, and safety of its people. In January 2024, a significant deal was signed by New Caledonia and Vanuatu to lay a 375-kilometer-long smart cable in the South Pacific Ocean, connecting the two regions. France is funding the scientific operations for this ambitious project. Additionally, in December 2023, a team of researchers from Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) successfully deployed the first SMART cable demonstration in the Mediterranean Sea to the east of Sicily. The cable will be instrumental in monitoring Mount Etna's volcanic activities. Other emerging opportunities include the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) considering connecting Antarctica to New Zealand through a smart cable, and, various groups are actively pursuing the connection between Europe and Japan under the Arctic via the Northwest Passage. According to the United Nations, approximately 40% of the global population lives within 100 km of a coast. Large tsunamis, while infrequent, can result in devastating outcomes. However, thanks to advance- ments in oceanic observational technology and increasing worldwide coordination with telecom providers, quicker, more accurate, and easily accessible
tsunami warnings are becoming achievable – offering a safer future for coastal communities across the globe (Figure 2). THE BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SMART CABLES The potential of SMART undersea cable networks stands as the pinnacle of ocean monitoring prowess. This mission is continually advancing, buoyed by fresh investments in upgraded cable infrastructure, next- generation optical technology, and robust cybersecurity protocols. As the insatiable market demand for band- width continues to rise, undersea cable operators are diligently planning how to meet it head-on. The SMART initiative holds great potential to deliver opportunities for new collaboration between tele- communications companies and maritime researchers. By working together, these sectors can enhance the effectiveness of ocean monitoring and ensure the data collected is reliable and cost-effective for scientific and environmental applications. Fueling a more environ- mentally supportive digital economy with these remarkable enhancements, the undersea cable sector is poised to remain indispensable in seamlessly connecting individuals and enterprises across the globe and helping improve our understanding of Earth’s oceans.
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change research and natural disaster prevention, offering essential data for comprehending and predicting extreme weather phenomena. Over 95% of global communication and internet traffic relies on submarine cables. The project aims to replace the existing communication infrastructure with a more advanced system capable of handling approximately 150 terabytes of data. This upgrade will lead to significant improvements in communication performance and a subsequent reduction in costs. Moreover, the project marks the introduction of a SMART Cable in Portugal for the (Figure 1) first time, further FIGURE 1: The Anel CAM submarine cable system is a 3,812 km cable system connecting Portugal with the Azores and Madeira regions.
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