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RIMES for greater partnership with AIT

24 Jul 2009
AIT

This was stated by Mr. Ali Shareef, Deputy Director General of Maldives
Meteorological Service (MMS) during an interaction with the AIT
president, Prof Said Irandoust. Prof Said Irandoust, welcomed the
initiative and expressed the interest that AIT could join RIMES in
order to further the cause of sustainable development in the context of
climate change. The AIT President stated that there is scope for
additional cooperation and collaboration between RIMES and AIT. Prof
Irandoust suggested that RIMES and AIT can sign a general MOU, which
will be followed up with a technical meeting to draft a long term
concrete action plan. Mr. Ali Shareef accepted the suggestion of the
AIT President and hoped that this would further strengthen their mutual
partnership.

Mr. Ali Shareef requested that the AIT should impart training,
education and help in capacity building in Maldives, particularly in
the area of earthquake science and seismology. AIT has assured that it
would help design courses in Maldives for this purpose.

Mr Shareef appreciated the role of AIT, which houses the headquarters
of RIMES and complimented Dr. Pennung Warnitchai of School of Science
and Technology (AIT) for his help in initiating and implementing
various projects undertaken by RIMES.

Mr. A.R. Subbiah, Director, Climate Risk Management , ADPC and
Director, EWS program of RIMES, who accompanied Mr Shareef in the
delegation, revealed that the RIMES Centre at AIT had accurately
predicted the onset of Cyclone Nargis a week in advance. Mr Subbiah
said that the information had been passed to the concerned authorities
in Myanmar a week in advance. He further added that the RIMES centre at
AIT is providing a daily 10 day discharge forecast of Brahmaputra River
to Bangladesh.

Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Vice President for Resource Development,
AIT suggested that cooperation between the AIT and RIMES should lead to
harnessing the comparative advantage of both.

The delegation from Maldives comprised of Mr. Ali Shareef, Deputy
Director General, Maldives Meteorological Services, Mr. A.R. Subbiah,
Director, Climate Risk Management , ADPC and Director, EWS program of
RIMES, and Mr. Abdul Gadeer, Assistant Director of Maldives
Meteorological Services.

Apart from the President AIT, Prof Said Irandoust, participants from
AIT included Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Vice President for Resource
Development, Dr Pritam Krishna Shrestha, Head, External Relations &
Communications (ERCO), Prof S Kumar, Dean, School of Environment,
Resources and Development (SERD), Prof Jayant Routray, Professor,
Regional and Rural Development Planning, Dr Pennung Warnitchai of
School of Science and Technology and Mr. Tenzin Rabgyal, Program
Officer.

RIMES has its secretariat in Maldives, but it’s headquarter is
situated within AIT. The idea of a Regional Integrated Multi-hazard
Early Warning System originated after the 2004 Tsunami when it was
proposed in the meeting of ASEAN leaders at Jakarta in January 2005.
The government of Thailand proposed in the Phuket Ministerial Meeting
that a multi nodal system be created, where one node may be facilitated
by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) (www.adpc.net) and a regional
trust fund by administered by UNESCAP (www.unescap.org). From seven member
countries in March 2005, the number has now grown to 26 countries. The
member states range from the East Coast of Africa to the Western Coast
of Philippines.

maldives04.jpg

From left to right : Mr. 
Abdul Gadeer,
Mr. A.R.
Subbiah, Mr. Ali Shareef, Prof Said Irandoust, President AIT and Dr
Pennung Warnitchai of School of Engineering and Technology,
AIT.