Cabinet approves MoU between India and UAE for Scientific and Technical Cooperation

New Delhi, Jan 13 (HS): The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) India.

The MoU provides for sharing of knowledge, data and operational products for meteorological, seismological and oceanic services, such as Radar, Satellite, Tide gauges, seismic and Meteorological stations.

Weather services make critical contributions in enhancing efficiency of weather dependent sectors of economy; and in managing risk in weather-dependent economic sectors such as agriculture, transport, water etc. which underpin the economic growth in the region. Resilience can be strengthened through regional and global cooperation as countries invest in early warning systems and modernize weather and forecasting services.

Due to evolutionary nature of weather, regional collaboration can help improve understanding of changing weather patterns, devise effective response strategies, lower investment costs, and foster regionally relevant technological innovation and address challenges related to modernization and sustainability of weather services.

The other highlights of the MoU includes the exchange of experience/visits in term of scientists, research scholars and specialists, etc. for the purpose of research, training, consultation, focused on climatic information services, satellite data utilization for now casting and tropical cyclones forecasting.

Besides, exchange of scientific and technical information related to common interest activities and organization of bilateral scientific and technical seminars/ workshops/ conferences and training courses on problems related to the fields of cooperation mentioned in the MoU and of interest to both countries.

The MoU also included other fields of cooperation as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties. In addition Deployment of Meteorological observation networks on mutual agreement over Ocean waters will also be the part of the agreement.

The countries also agreed upon the cooperation in the development of special capacities of Tsunami models researches for faster and more reliable forecasts of Tsunamis propagating through the Oman Sea and Arabian Sea which affect the coastal areas of India and North East of UAE. There will also be set up Tsunami Early Warning Centre (TEWC) in the form of forecast modelling software, specifically designed to support the Tsunami forecasting operations with mutual cooperation.

In addition to this, sharing the real-time seismic data of some of Seismic stations situated in south and west of India and North of the UAE for monitoring the seismic activities which may generate Tsunami in Arabian Sea and Sea of Oman and cooperation in early warnings of Sand and Dust storms through the exchange of knowledge.