Jaffna Oceanographic Observatory to be built under China-Sri Lanka project of......
Jaffna Oceanographic Observatory to be built under China-Sri Lanka project of "Cooperation on Sea Level Observation and Disaster Early Warning"
FIO organized a delegation for a working visit to Sri Lanka from October 8 to 14. During the visit, the delegation had in-depth exchanges with the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), a project partner of the Sri Lankan side, and met with Professor Daya Edirisinghe, chairman of NARA. The chief scientists of the two sides signed the Work Plan for Joint Construction of FIO-NARA Sea Level Observation and Early Warning System (2018-2020), marking the beginning of the second phase of the China-Sri Lanka Project of Cooperation on Sea Level Observation and Disaster Early Warning.
The China-Sri Lanka Project of Cooperation on Sea Level Observation and Disaster Early Warning is a bilateral cooperation project signed in Beijing on December 24, 2015 on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on Academic and Research Cooperation entered into by FIO and NARA in 2013. The project has two phases. In the first phase from 2016 to 2017, the two sides established the Mirissa Observatory in southern Sri Lanka and put it into trial operation in March 2017. Meanwhile, the Chinese side conducted training in ocean models, database technology, tidal data processing and in the use of observatory equipment.
According to the agreed work contents of the second phase, the two sides will continue to carry out in-depth cooperation in 2018-2020, including joint construction of new stations in the north, operation and maintenance of existing stations, joint offshore observation and disaster assessment in coastal zones. During the visit, the two sides conducted a site selection reconnaissance for the oceanographic observatory in Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, and initially determined the construction site of the observatory. The construction of Jaffna Oceanographic Observatory will fill the gap that there have long been no conventional oceanographic observatories in northern Sri Lanka. Combined with the layout of the existing oceanographic stations (Colombo, Trincomalee, and Mirissa) in Sri Lanka, a preliminary observation system of NARA oceanographic stations will be formed. The implementation the project provides important technical support for the promotion of the Maritime Silk Road Initiative.
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