[Npoc-discuss] Internet Infrastructure and Sea Level Rise: Food/Question for Thought

Mon Nov 4 08:47:04 UTC 2019

Hello everybody :

The point that Sam is raising is of great relevance and it is a game changing proposal. The international NGO community counts with a number of very influential actors, some of them with considerable means to act – which in most cases do not belong to NPOC. The objective then would be to promote NPOC affiliation within that community. I wonder if with the present membership NPOC would go very far. This is not to diminish anybody, but rather an invitation to look at NPOC on a wider context.

With regards to Internet infrastructure, given the overwhelming overlap between the US security apparatus and the operation of the Internet, I wonder if NPOC can do something about it, apart from some advocacy work on the relevance of the issue.

With best regards,

Jorge A. Restrepo

From: Npoc-discuss [mailto:npoc-discuss-bounces at icann.org] On Behalf Of Sam Lanfranco
Sent: jeudi 31 octobre 2019 15:27
To: Olivier Kouami; NPOC Discuss
Subject: Re: [Npoc-discuss] Internet Infrastructure and Sea Level Rise: Food/Question for Thought

Thank you Olevie for the following question. I think it is appropriate, and I suspect we will discover that the timing of the question is appropriate as well.

Olivie's question is: Please, could Sam cited an exemple of an ICANN's SG or AC or C which are already behaving like that ?

Here is a short answer and it requires some thought and reflection. First, look at the existing context of stakeholder groups within ICANN. IPC, the contracted and non-contracted constituencies, even GAC, represent the interests of those constituencies, and also represent those constituencies. They have organizational structures outside ICANN, structures to which they are accountable. It is through those external structures, structures that involve governance (e.g. GAC) and institutional structures (e.g. IPC) where they pursue their ICANN interests, and wider Internet ecosystem interests in a an organized manner. They do not do this from within their ICANN constituency structure. The do this from within the organized structure that sits outside and behind their ICANN constituency presence.

In contrast, as you correctly note, NPOC is a complete creation of ICANN, its birth prompted, at the start, by the issue of protection of not-for-profit integrity in the DNS, an issue raised by Red Cross and Red Crescent, (RC/RC) and one where RC/RC almost immediately pushed NPOC to the sidelines and engaged with ICANN at levels above NPOC and NCSG.

NPOC has no existence external to ICANN, unlike other stakeholder/constituency groups. Also, because of that NPOC does not, and cannot, speak on behalf of the ngo/not-for-profit community. Instead, it speak to the concerns of the ngo/not-for-profit community. That is as it should be, since NPOC is not formally accountable to any particular ngo/not-for-profit constituency. We come from that constituency and we work as best we can and in good faith trying to represent and protect the interests of that constituency, interests that include the public good.

It is even the case, in some instances, that NPOC members who serve as representatives of ngos and non-profits are not formally held accountable to the organizations they represent. They do not regularly report back, or ask for direction. This is not a criticism. In many cases the ngo/non-profit's primary mission is not the security and stability of the DNS and it simply expects the NPOC representative to do good work with regard to the DNS in the interests of the public interest and the interests of the wider ngo/non-profit community.

So what am I asking here? I am asking if the time is ripe for NPOC to consider expanding beyond ICANN's remit, to leave the nest and consider forming an "NPOC org" that is external to ICANN, an org that may - depending on structure and dynamics - play a strong role in NPOC's membership (an issue that would require serious thought), and (more important) be an organized stakeholder and constituency forum, voice and force within other Internet ecosystem forums where policy and practices are reviewed and developed.

I know that this is a big "ask". But, given the magnitude of the challenges coming with regard to the technical and behavioral integrity of the Internet ecosystem, NPOC may want to take the lead here, or it may simply wish to let others take the lead and remain primarily a voice for the DNS concerns of the ngo/non-profit community within ICANN's mandate.

As I say "food for thought".

Sam Lanfranco

On 10/31/2019 4:17 AM, Olivier Kouami wrote:
Greetings everyone from Lomé Togo.
+1 @all, first.
I'm following up this discussion and found it really interesting.
It's true that ICANN's interest in this IG ecosystem is at the logical layer with a sound impact on socio-economical layer. With the notice that most of the infrastructure layer, wich is the basical layer of the IG ecosystem, belong to multinationales privates companies (90% of the all backbone).
Finally, it's a struggle between the consumers and producers.
Anyway, my concern is the fact the NPOC is an invention of  the ICANN org, like so, is it really possible to add another tasks, which are not among the goals of the ICANN, to NPOC's charter ?
Please, could Sam cited an exemple of an ICANN's SG or AC or C which are already behaving like that ?
It's my question.

Thank you, in adavance, for your clarifications.

Warm regards.
Olévié

Le mer. 30 oct. 2019 à 14:46, Poncelet Ileleji <pileleji at ymca.gm<mailto:pileleji at ymca.gm>> a écrit :
Spot on Sam,

Way to go 👍🏿

Poncelet

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019, Sam Lanfranco <lanfran at yorku.ca<mailto:lanfran at yorku.ca>> wrote:
Poncelet,

Thank you for your comments. I agree that the looming crisis around Internet Infrastructure and Sea Level Rise is not central to ICANN's mandate, and do not see it as occupying a central position on the ICANN agenda. But, as multiple stakeholder constituencies we (including ICANN and ICANN org) have to press for greater attention elsewhere, where stakeholder awareness and engagement are raised with regard to such issues.

The IGF is one of those venues and I support NPOC developing a strategy (say as NPOC org, with an independent budget and above and beyond its ICANN constituency existence) to take on such tasks.

I remind us that this is more or less how the other ICANN constituencies operate outside ICANN, targeting their efforts at areas that impact their core interests. Our interests are two fold, the impact of the Internet ecosystem on the NGO, not-for-profit, community constituency, and on "the public good". Within NPOC we focus on the DNS, but our concerns are wider. This is a good opportunity to mature NPOC as a concerned constituency within the challenges facing the wider Internet ecosystem.

<Food for though>

Sam L.
---- Original Message ----
From: Poncelet Ileleji <pileleji at ymca.gm<mailto:pileleji at ymca.gm>>
To: "Sam Lanfranco" <sam at lanfranco.net<mailto:sam at lanfranco.net>>
Cc: "NPOC Discuss" <npoc-discuss at icann.org<mailto:npoc-discuss at icann.org>>
Sent: Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 5:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Npoc-discuss] Internet Infrastructure and Sea Level Rise: Food/Question for Thought

Hello Sam,

I think it’s more of an issue within the overall internet governance domain so within Berlin discuss we can do it. As under the realm of ICANN we won’t get far with the discuss as it centers on infrastructure not DNS.

Our chair @Joan can see how we can promote it within the global IGF as per NPOC and within our regional gatherings.

Just my little thoughts

Poncelet

On Wednesday, 30 October 2019, Sam Lanfranco <sam at lanfranco.net<mailto:sam at lanfranco.net>> wrote:
NPOC colleagues,
I am raising this within the NPOC discussion group because I want to get a sense of whether this is an issue that should be somewhere on the ICANN agenda. At a minimum ICANN and its communities are constituent stakeholders in this issue.Most analysis sees serious problems within 15 years.
Much of the Internet’s physical infrastructure is situated in locations close to coastal shorelines, connected to the half-million miles of undersea cables. New estimates of sea level rise driven by climate change have tripled earlier estimates of global vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding.  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12808-z<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12808-z>
The impact of this on human habitation, and human migration, will be catastrophic. Estimates are that by mid-century up to 340 million people will live on land below projected annual flood levels. Current estimates put one billion people now occupying land less than 10 meters above current high tide lines, including 250 million living below 1 meter above current high tide lines. These populations will become a migration tsunami. But that is not the issue I want to raise here.
The impact of sea level rise on the infrastructure of the Internet ecosystem will be equally catastrophic and is approaching fast. Rather than belaboring the point that some action is necessary here, I will just share a short bibliography on the subject. Do we need a discussion?
Sam Lanfranco
The Internet May Be Underwater in 15 Years:  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-internet-underwater-sea-level-rise/
Buried Internet infrastructure at risk as sea levels rise:  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180716141627.htm
Rising Seas Could Cause Problems for Internet Infrastructure  https://biodiversityfunders.org/rising-seas-could-cause-problems-for-internet-infrastructure/
Sea Level Rise to Jeopardize U.S. Internet Infrastructure In 15 Years  https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2018/08/11/sea-level-rise-to-jeopardise-u-s-internet-infrastructure-in-15-years-study-says/#1fdac65a7cb0<https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2018/08/11/sea-level-rise-to-jeopardise-u-s-internet-infrastructure-in-15-years-study-says/%231fdac65a7cb0>

Internet infrastructure will be inundated as sea levels rise: https://www.networkworld.com/article/3290250/internet-infrastructure-will-be-inundated-as-sea-levels-rise-says-report.html

Key Internet Connections and Locations are at Risk from Rising Seas:  https://www.americanscientist.org/article/key-internet-connections-and-locations-are-at-risk-from-rising-seas

The internet is at risk from rising sea levels | World Economic Forum:  https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/rising-sea-levels-are-coming-for-the-internet
Rising sea levels are going to mess with the internet, sooner than you think:  https://www.popsci.com/sea-level-rise-internet-infrastructure/

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The Gambia, West Africa
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--
Poncelet O. Ileleji MBCS
Coordinator
The Gambia YMCAs Computer Training Centre & Digital Studio
MDI Road Kanifing South
P. O. Box 421 Banjul
The Gambia, West Africa
Tel: (220) 4370240
Fax:(220) 4390793
Cell:(220) 9912508
Skype: pons_utd
www.ymca.gm<http://www.ymca.gm>
http://jokkolabs.net/en/
https://www.netfreedompioneers.org/
www.waigf.org<http://www.waigf.org>
www,insistglobal.com<http://www.itag.gm>
www.npoc.org<http://www.npoc.org>

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