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KMFRI Receives Research Vessel |
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The Flemish government's oceanographic research vessel RV Zeeleeuw was officially handed over to the Republic of Kenya on 3 May 2013. The ship will sail under the Kenyan flag and will be named RV Mtafiti, which is Swahili for ‘researcher’.
The donation of the vessel fell within a collaboration between Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI). On 19 October 2012 the two institutes signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for bilateral collaboration in the field of marine sciences.
The name is said to be appropriate, since RV Zeeleeuw has served Belgian and international marine researchers in the southern bight of the North Sea, for thirteen years. Also in Kenya the ship will continue to serve marine research and will be managed by the KMFRI. On 3 May 2013 the final documents for the handover of the vessel were signed by Mr. Mutua Kilaka (Financial Secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Finance). Within the frame of the MoU, VLIZ will co-ordinate and facilitate the translocation of the vessel, co-operate in all scientific operations such as providing and placing scientific instruments on board of the ship, training IT staff, scientific assistants, students, etc. The research vessel itself will further strengthen the co-operation between Belgium and Kenya in the field of marine research, technology and education. Until the end of May 2013, the elected Kenyan captain and engineer and the RV Mtafiti will be prepared for sailing. If all goes well, the RV Mtafiti should leave the harbour of Ostend and set sail to Mombasa via the Suez Canal mid-June 2013. The journey should take approximately 33 days, with the arrival at the harbour of Mombasa around mid-July 2013 where the research vessel will receive a great welcome ceremony to fit this milestone in marine research at the West-Indian coast. |
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ODINAFRICA Websites Development workshop |
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The second ODINAFRICA Websites development workshop was held in Nairobi, Kenya
between 25-27 April 2013. The course was attended by 23 participants and the
course was taught by Mr Aditya Naik Kakodkar (IT developer of the IOC project
office for IODE, Oostende) and Samuel Ngete (KMFRI, Kenya).Prior to 2013 NODC
websites were presented in simple HTML. Managing content within a HTML website
was not straight forward. It caused a lot of operational problems, including
requirements such as knowledge of HTML and FTP. Joomla was chosen as a content
management system. Websites were developed for each NODC with a common template.
During this workshop content managers were trained to manager content in Joomla
CMS.
The course content can be visited through http://classroom.oceanteacher.org/course/view.php?id=166.
More
info on the course can be found on http://www.iode.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewEventRecord&eventID=1273 |
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ODINAFRICA PLANS FOR 2013 |
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The ODINAFRICA Project Steering Committee meeting from 26–28 November 2012, at the National Marine Information and Research Centre in Swakopmund, Namibia reviewed the implementation status of the project and approved a work plan for 2013.
Review of Implementation Status
The products that had been identified for the current phase of ODINAFRICA includes Coastal and Marine Atlases, Catalogue of all the libraries participating in ODINAFRICA, repository of marine related publications from Africa, directory of marine experts and institutions from Africa, African Register of Marine Species, African Ocean Data portal and project websites through which people can access data and information. The following is the status and proposed actions for each of the products:
- Coastal and Marine Atlases
- Union Catalogue of Library Holdings of ODINAFRICA institutions and Repository of Marine Related publications from/about Africa.
- African Register of Marine Species
- Marine Mammals Programme
- NODC and Project websites:
- Publicity/Public Awareness:
- The Ocean Data Portal
Project Management & Coordination.
The Steering Committee noted that following the establishment of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States by the 26th Session of the IOC Assembly, the coordination of IOC’s activities in Africa, including ODINAFRICA was transferred to the secretariat for the Sub Commission which is based at the UNESCO Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya. The ODINAFRICA Project Manager was appointed as the IOC Coordinator in Africa effective from March 2012. The position is funded from the UNESCO Regular Programme budget. With the approval of the donor, the funds initially foreseen for the project manager position was re-allocated to strengthen the marine biodiversity component of the project by funding a Marine Mammals Survey in West Africa in collaboration with the Canary Current LME, as well as providing support to the Ocean Biogeographic System – OBIS so that they can better assist in the development of the African Register of Marine Species.
Work Plan for 2013.
The Steering Committee adopted a work plan for 2013, focusing on how each of the products will be finalized before the end of the project.
The highlight will be the ODINAFRICA Planning and Review meeting which will be hosted by the Instituto Nacional de Hidrografia e Navegação (INAHINA) in Maputo, Mozambique from 26 – 30 May 2013.
Tentatively the following events are planned during the occassion:
26 May 2013: visit to Inhaca Island
27 May 2013: ODINAFRICA Symposium and Exhibition
28-30 May 2013: ODINAFRICA Planning and Review meeting.
The detailed outline of the work plan are provide through each of the links below:
WORK PACKAGE I : NETWORKING, COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT.
WORK-PACKAGE-2: STRENGTHENING OF NATIONAL MARINE DATA & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT CAPACITY.
WORK-PACKAGE-3: DEVELOPMENT OF PRODUCTS
WORK-PACKAGE-4: DISSEMINATION AND SHARING OF DATA, INFORMATION, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
BEYOND ODINAFRICA –IV
The Steering Committee explored possible directions for collaboration between the ODINAFRICA partners beyond the current phase of the project and highlighted the following:
- Prediction, modeling and forecasts (lot of opportunity and potential). Downscaling global models?
- Addressing the needs of users and developing products useful for end-users
- Climate change related products (forecasts, predictions, scenario development …). Behaviour of ocean and its impact on climate. Adaptation Strategies?
- Are NODC’s suited to work as forecast centres or should his be done by operational agencies?
- Feedback on atlas and use this to develop other products
- Improving linkages (bridging the gap) between scientists and users – currently there a number of mapping and spatial planning initiatives, poor usage.
- Enrich atlas with local data sets, usable for spatial planning (MPAs, mangrove forests, mining locations, fishing grounds, rivers etc)
- Formal ocean data/information exchange policy for Africa?
- Sustainability of atlases and other products
- Contribution to ICZM
- Develop proposal for submission to AU, EU, GEF
It was agreed that the ODINAFRICA Regional Coordinators will lead discussions within the regions and summarise the global view from their regions and communicate these to the Project Manager. These will be utilized to progressively build the main pillars o for possible activities/collaboration beyond ODINAFRICA-IV. The results will be presented during the planning and review meeting in May 2013. |
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN MAURITIUS - Towards Development of a Disaster Risk Reduction Framework
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Mohammudally Beebeejaun, Mauritius Meteorological Services
The Republic of Mauritius, a Small Island Developing States (SIDS), learnt lessons from the past natural disasters such as the cyclone Carol which, back in 1960, killed forty-one and left more than hundred thousand homeless. With the advent of new technology, more disaster-proof architecture and up-to-date early warning system are in demand to make the communities less vulnerable and more resilient. The short-term economic interests gave rise to extensive development in risk-prone areas where adequate attention is not paid to protection of environment, coastal and maritime ecosystems.
Observed changes: the average temperature in the Republic of Mauritius shows an increasing trend of 0.15°C per decade and the average temperature increased by 0.74 – 1.2°C with reference to 1961-1990. The precipitation on the other hand shows a decreasing trend over the period from 1905 to 2007. The reduction in precipitations amounts to 57 mm per decade.
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Human-induced climate change may lift the temperature by 1-2 degree Celsius by 2060-2070, and increase sizably the intensity and frequency of extreme precipitation events. According to the IPCC Forth Assessment Report (AR4), the expected Sea Level Rise (SLR) ranges between 16 and 49 cm.
Based on an analysis performed within the framework of the disaster risk reduction, the average temperature on Mauritius Island is expected to increase by 1-2°C in the period 2061-2070 compared to 1996-2005.
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| In Rodrigues, the increasing trend is slightly lower. The changes of precipitation patterns are more pronounced, even if the total annual precipitation remains constant or increases slightly. In Mauritius, higher precipitation is expected in the period from May to October generally a cool and dry period. The IPCC’s Special Report on ”Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation – SREX” (IPCC, 2012) stressed that the frequency of extreme precipitation events is likely to increase, even if the quantification of the changes is very difficult. |
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Continuing in this trend will mean that years-long growth can be lost to natural hazards and the country may get off the sustainable path.
These results urge to design robust disaster risk policies and management practice for the decades to come through an Action Plan based on the conventional and long-established risk management cycle. The modern flood risk governance recognises the critical importance of all stages of disaster risk management, including prevention and protection, preparedness, response, and recovery.
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A Strategy and Action plan is proposed for Disaster Risk Reduction, taking into account the likely effects of climate change. The Strategy calls on the government to establish a National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction as recommended by the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015. The Action plan consist of nine key recommendations which, if put in practice, will significantly reduce the annual damage to natural hazard and produce additional (ancillary) benefits in economic, social and environmental terms.
In the framework of the Africa Adaptation project, a climate change analysis has been conducted, using high resolution climate simulations running on the area of interest. Results for the XXI century are shown in terms of intensity and frequency of precipitations events, as well as temperature conditions. Looking at the temperature seasonal cycle and probability density function, an increase of the temperature for the period 2061-2070, with respect to the period 1996-2005, is shown over the Mauritius Island. About precipitation for Mauritius, it does not show a significant variation with respect to the present. Nevertheless the precipitation seasonal cycle shows an increasing of the monthly precipitation in the period from May to October (usually a cool and dry period). |
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| UN CONTINENTAL SHELF COMMISSION ELECTS PROF AWOSIKA AS CHAIR. |
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Professor Lawrence Awosika (left) presenting his signed solemn declaration as a member and Chairman of the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the continental shelf to Mr. Terassanco (representing the Secretary General of the United Nations)
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The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) has elected Professor Lawrence F Awosika, a marine geophysicist from Nigeria, as its chair for a two and half year term, starting 30 July 2012. Professor Awosika, the Director of Marine Geology Geophysics department at the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) in Lagos, Nigeria defeated a candidate from the Republic of Korea in a keenly contested election held during the 30th session of the CLCS which started at the UN Headquarters New York on 30th July 2012. Professor Awosika is the first black Africa to lead the commission since the commission came into being over 15 years ago. The 21 new members of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf who are experts in the fields of Geology, geophysics or geodesy will serve in their personal capacity for a five year term starting from 30 July 2012.
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