This is expected to lead to faster and more reliable forecasts of Tsunamis in the region

India and the UAE are set to work closely in the areas of meteorological, seismological, and oceanic services with the Union Cabinet approving a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on this on Wednesday.

The MoU covers scientific and technical collaboration between the National Centre of Meteorology, UAE, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India.

Among other benefits, the collaboration is expected to lead to faster and more reliable forecasts of Tsunamis originating through the Oman Sea and Arabian Sea. These affect the coastal areas of India as well as the NorthEast region of the UAE.

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

A UAE delegation which visited India in November 2019 had discussed common areas of research by institutions in both the countries.

Both sides had shown particular interest in scientific and technical collaborations for Tsunami forecasts.

The MoU covers cooperation in the development of special capacities of Tsunami models research for faster and more reliable forecasts and support to the Tsunami Early Warning Centre (TEWC).

The two countries will also share the real-time seismic data of some 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.

The MoU also covers deployment of meteorological observation networks on mutual agreement over ocean waters and cooperation in early warnings of Sand and Dust storms.

It is worth noting that weather services make key contributions in development of weather-dependent sectors of the economy.

The ministry said resilience can be reinforced through regional and global cooperation as countries invest in early warning systems and modernize weather and forecasting services.

Regional collaborations can help in better understanding of changing weather patterns and in devising effective response strategies.