International organizations help Myanmar improve weather forecasting

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/10/content_11345433.htm

By Feng Yingqiu

YANGON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Several international organizations from the United Nations and Asian countries have been helping Myanmar in weather forecasting a year after severe cyclone Nargis hit the country.

These organizations include the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Thailand-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), China Meteorological Administration (CMA), China Earthquake Administration (CEA), Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology Department (MHD).

Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago,Mon and Kayin on last May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructural damage.

The storm has killed 84,537 people, leaving 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured according to official death toll.

Following the cyclone onslaught, the WMO sent a team to Myanmarto study MHD's undertakings carried out soon after cyclone and provided needful weather-related materials and technical assistance.

Two months after storm, Thailand started to seek ways of establishing in Myanmar an early warning network system against cyclone and a delegation, led by Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Mun Patanotai, visited the country for the purpose, meeting with its Myanmar counterpart and the ASEAN-Myanmar-United Nations Tripartite Core Group.

In addition to weather forecasting, Myanmar is also cooperating with more Thai organizations in carrying out rehabilitation work in cyclone-hit areas. These organizations are International Development Cooperation Agency, National Institute of Emergency Medicine Service System and Weather Forecast Bureau.

Meanwhile, initiated by the Thailand-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), a regional assessment center for natural disaster is being set up in Yangon to reinforce the country's seismological facilities.



The UNESCAP also planned to set up two seismograph stations and two sea-level measurement stations on Thamihla Kyun (Diamond Island) in Ayeyawaddy division in the coming years.

Moreover, building of 10 seismological observatories during the present fiscal year of 2009-2010 in cooperation with CEA and the Asia Disaster Organization (ADO) is also being planned. Of them, three will be respectively set up in Nay Pyi Taw, Kengtung and Dawei by the government, four in Yangon, Mandalay, Myitkyina and Lashio with the assistance of the CEA and three in Sittwe, Kalaw and Taunggyi with the aid of the ADO.

In February this year, the Japanese company of Mitsubishi Cooperation donated some dozens of high-frequency transmitters and receivers to Myanmar for installation at weather forecasting stations in Rakhine, Kayin Mon, Ayeyawaddy, Yangon and Taninthayi states and divisions.

With the facilities, daily weather forecasts could be reported to Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon for taking precaution against natural disaster.

Other Japanese organization -- the Japan International Cooperation Agency has also been helping Myanmar establish an early earthquake warning system by setting up seismographic network and record center in the country.

Furthermore, Myanmar and India are also seeking cooperation in monitoring tsunami, saying that details of the warning projects for the natural disaster will be touched on later.


Editor: Chris