KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen early warning system for effective management of disasters, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), an UN-registered agency here on Friday.
OSDMA Managing Director Bishnupada Sethi on behalf of the state government signed the MoU with AR Subbiah of RIMES in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The aim of the MoU is to integrate new generation digital algorithm-based technologies and best practices from 48 RIMES member countries of Asia, Africa and the Pacific to OSDMA.
The MoU could bring a shift from “What Weather Will be to What Weather Will do “Risk-Based Early Warning system into OSDMA’s operations. This MoU enables for development and pilot implementation of decision support systems that make seamless use of weather and climate information at 3 days, 10 days, 1 month, and 3 months into the future, sourced from India Meteorological Department (IMD) for automating risk assessment and advisory generation and dissemination.
These tools shall be built with open-source software platforms and public domain data sets, with full involvement of OSDMA and its line departments and collaborating agencies. These integration systems will be capable of crunching terabytes of national, regional and global data sets, in real-time, using state-of-the-art big data analytics to generate operational decision support derivatives to be rendered through user-friendly interfaces to end-of-line EOC managers to prepare and respond to hazards.
Initially, the agreement will be effective for five years with a cost involvement of about Rs 8 crores, sources said.
RIMES and OSDMA collaboration will contribute to global efforts targeted to substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems as articulated in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 with strong endorsement of the value of early warning systems as a part of a broader disaster risk reduction strategy and disaster risk reduction and resilience agenda embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Regional Integrated Multi Hazard Early Warning Systems (RIMES) Thailand, is a UN Registered international and inter-governmental institution, owned and managed by its 48 Members and Collaborating States for building capacities in the generation and application of user-relevant early warning information. RIMES purpose is to provide early warning services, according to differing needs and demands of its Member States, for enhanced preparedness and response to, and mitigation of natural hazards. One of its main objectives is to enhance warning response capacities at all levels (national to community) within each national early warning framework.
RIMES is governed by a Council, composed of heads of NMHSs/ national scientific and technical agencies generating multi-hazard early warning information, empowered to make policy decisions, on behalf of governments, concerning regional early warning arrangements. Currently, the Government of India serves as RIMES Council Chair.
In India, it has collaborated with the government of Tamil Nadu through the establishment of a long-term collaborative programme to enhance Early Warning Systems for all-natural hazards.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty, Chief Secretary Aditya Prashad Padhi, Principal Secretary and Secretaries of various departments along with other senior officials were present during the signing of the MoU.
Ms Kalinga