The Fifth National Monsoon Forum began this morning at Society for Health Education (SHE) Building. In the opening ceremony, Minister of Environment and Energy Mr. Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of state for Environment and Energy Mr. Abdullahi Majeed, Permanent Secretary Mr. Ajwad Musthafa, Senior Policy Executive. Mr. Ibrahim Nizam and heads of Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS) participated.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Mr. Thoriq Ibrahim said that this forum is very crucial since, while MMS provides forecasts and warning information, different sectorial institutions have to anticipate possible impacts and develop a set of potential responses or management strategies to minimize such impacts.
The Monsoon Forum is a cyclical, dynamic platform for dialogue between Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS), and stakeholder institutions that provide opportunities for constant tailoring of information to suit user requirements and meaningful application of information of various timescales, for societal welfare. The aims of the forum are to present and discuss the seasonal outlook for the 2016 Southwest Monsoon Season and discussing likely sectoral conditions for the 2016 Southwest Monsoon Season based on historical data, currently observed conditions, and forecast, and accordingly plan for preparedness and other related issues.
Introduced in Maldives in July 2012, the Monsoon Forum offers an opportunity for dialogue between hydro-meteorological scientists who generate climate information and a range of potential users such as tourism and travel entities, agricultural producers, traders, extension agents, disaster risk managers, government planners and development partners, among others. Built on the monsoon, a regular phenomenon in the country, the Monsoon Forum has taken a multi-hazard approach, integrating issues on forecasts and warning information and other concerns regarding geological hazards like earthquakes and tsunamis.
The Fifth Monsoon Forum in Maldives is organized by MMS with support from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES).
