The World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS) is a radio system set up by the

International Hydrographic Organization The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) (French: ''Organisation Hydrographique Internationale'') is an intergovernmental organization representing hydrography. the IHO comprised 102 member states. A principal aim of the IHO is to ...

(IHO) which provides hazard warnings to maritime shipping. Upon the onset of a meteorological or geological disaster that would pose a danger to shipping lanes, warnings are issued within affected NAVAREAs (designated navigational areas in the WWNWS) by the state responsible for that area.

History

Historically, navigational warnings were sometimes issued by individual states. Where they were issued, they were often limited to national waters, and there was no standard language or standard method of coordination between states. The sinking of the in the English Channel on 12 January 1971 prompted discussion on a better system to warn ships of

navigational hazards Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

. A 1972 conference of the

(IHO) produced a recommendation to produce a "global radio navigational warning service". A joint body was set up by the IHO and the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO; ; ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating maritime transport. The IMO was established following agreement at a ...

(IMO) in 1973. In 1974 the project became the sole responsibility of the IHO, with the IMO withdrawing from non-UN cooperation. Development initially focused on warnings for international waters. Coastal and Local warnings were developed later, incorporating lessons from the coastal warning system covering the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

and

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

, and the coastal warning system covering the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. The division of the world into NAVAREAs was an early decision, with an initial 15 areas proposed in 1973 being expanded to 16 at the first IHO Commission meeting in 1974. Established in 1977 to provide notice of temporary hazards to international shipping. The 16 initial NAVAREAS each began operating when individually ready, and the system became fully operational on 1 April 1980 when Japan began broadcasting to cover its NAVAREA. (The NAVAREA in question, XI, was the only one not assigned a potential Area Coordinator in the 1974 and 1975 planning meetings.) Five NAVAREAs covering the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...

were established in 2007.

System

Warnings are sent using methods such as

NAVTEX NAVTEX (NAVigational TEleX), sometimes styled Navtex or NavTex, is an international automated medium frequency direct-printing service for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, as well as urgent maritime safety inf ...

and

Inmarsat-C Inmarsat-C is a two-way, packet data service operated by the telecommunications company Inmarsat which operates between mobile earth stations (MES) and land earth stations (LES). It became fully operational after a period of pre-operational trials ...

. Once a warning is no longer relevant, the notice is cancelled. Longer-term hazards are converted into a notice to mariners. The highest level of warning is a Navigational Area ( NAVAREA) warning. There are also Sub-Area warnings, Coastal warnings, and Local warnings. NAVAREA, Sub-Area, and Coastal warnings are regulated by the WWNWS, and the level of warning determines the area it will be broadcast in. Local warnings, not regulated by the WWNWS, are generally restricted to in-shore areas. A broadcast applicable to an entire NAVAREA is also extended beyond it, to alert incoming shipping. The world's oceans are divided into 21 NAVAREAs, and warnings are given within each region. Each NAVAREA has an Area Coordinator, which will be a designated national body. Some bodies are responsible for multiple NAVAREAs. National Coordinators of other coastal states provide information to the Area Coordinator. Warnings are given in English, sometimes accompanied by another language.

References

{{Reflist

External links

IHO Sub-Committee on the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS-SC)

24 June 2013 AMENDMENTS TO RESOLUTION A.706(17) – WORLD-WIDE NAVIGATIONAL WARNING SERVICE
Emergency communication International telecommunications Law of the sea Maritime communication Maritime safety Rescue equipment

History

System

See also

References

External links