Seychelles holds first seasonal forum for the India Ocean |16 May 2015

The tsunami of 2004 forced most of the countries in Africa and Asia to rethink about their meteorological services and how to become more efficient.

To strengthen the observation network over the Indian Ocean, a team from the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (Rimes) was in Seychelles from May 12-15 for the preparation of the deployment and installation of a wave-rider buoy. To coincide with this visit, the first seasonal forum was introduced in Seychelles for the integration of national meteorological and hydrological services into user sectors.

Two consultants – Dr Balakrishnan Nair from India and Ruby Rose Policarpio from Thailand – led the discussions.

Climate change and energy principal secretary Wills Agricole said in his opening remarks that Seychelles as a group of islands, which is surrounded on all sides by the sea, has been enjoying the abundant bounties of the ocean from the olden days till now with a lot emphasis on the Blue Economy concept, but at the same time the sea is a terrifying existent that brings to the people in the coastal areas abnormal high tides, tropical cyclones, tsunamis, and other threats.

He reminded those present that in January 2013, tropical cyclone ‘Felleng’ wreaked havoc on the east coast of Mahe, in a wide area from Cascade to Au Cap and on Praslin and La Digue causing severe flooding and landslides with devastating effects and unprecedented loss and damage.

PS Agricole explained that one of the closest partners of Rimes is the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) which is an autonomous organisation of the government of India. Strengthening their observation network to improve on the performance of their forecasting models for the Indian Ocean particularly in the region of Seychelles is therefore the main reason why since Monday Rimes and INCOIS experts have been in the country working with local partners from the National Meteorological Services, Seychelles Fishing Authority, Seychelles Coast Guard, Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration and others for the preparation of the deployment and installation of a wave rider buoy in Seychelles.

“This equipment, the first of its kind to be installed in Seychelles, will provide data to INCOIS so that they can perform model verification to ensure that the implementation of their model is correct and therefore producing good and reliable forecasts to help Seychelles implement disaster risk reduction and management aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them,” said PS Agricole.

This buoy costs US $80,000 and is fully financed by the government of India. The logistics to maintain the proper functioning of the buoy will be catered for by the government of Seychelles. After the south-east monsoon the buoy will be placed in the sea in the east of the island of Mahe.

Meteorological services director Vincent Amelie added that this forum “will help all stakeholders to know and learn more about weather predictions, thus allowing us to better prepare ourselves.”

“For sure this will help us improve our services and see how to communicate the forecast to the common people. We still have a lot to learn about ocean forcasting and with the help of Rimes, Seychelles will be able to become a model in the region,” he added.

The Rimes, based in Thailand, came into existence after the tsunami and is an international and intergovernmental institution owned and managed by its 32-member states, including Seychelles. It generates and communicates early warning information, and capacity building for preparedness and response to trans-boundary hazards to all the member states.