Logos Maldives Meteorological Service Goddard Space Flight Center University of Peradeniya USAID Ministry of Disaster Management The Maldives National University Foundation for Environment, Climate and Technology

Annual Summary Report – 2016 – 2017

Highlights

During this period we held meetings for planning next steps and reviewing the project work done so far. We made headway with project implementation in the Maldives. Infrastructure was improved for better communication and security. We continued data acquisition and worked on specific hazards in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Contents 

  • Project Implementation 
  • Project Implementation for Maldives
  • Re-Installation of Soil Moisture Probes in Male 
  • Staff Recruitment
  • Data Acquisition
  • Water Scarcity Modeling
  • Automated Weather Systems and Soil Moisture Systems
  • Website and Communication
  • Case Studies
  • Development of Text on the Geography of the Maldives
  • Ongoing Drought
  • El Nino Impacts on Corals
  • Follow up on May 2016 Disaster
  • Flooding in Pinga Oya (at Akurana, Kandy), Sri Lanka
  • Analysis of Impacts of Norochcholai Coal Power Plant on Climate and Hazards

Project Implementation

During this year, rapid progress was made in setting up infrastructure such as websites, data sets, software, trained personnel and in obtaining preliminary output. We revisited the collaboration with the US and Maldivian partners.

Project Implementation for Maldives

Researcher Prabodha Agalawatte visited Dr. Zahid and Mr. Aslam of LaMer and helped with the setting up of instrumentation for weather station and a soil moisture gauge. 

Discussion were held among co-PIs Zubair and Zahid in February 2017 and in July 2017. In September 2015, we followed up with another set of visits for project planning. During these visits, discussion was held with Dr. Zahid Deputy Director General of the Maldives Meteorological Services (MMS), Mr. Wahid (Director General), Mr. Muaz (Instrument Engineer), and Mr Rasheed (Director of weather forecasting) of the Maldives Meteorological Service. 

A review meeting on project and planning ahead was held with these officials during the visit with Dr. Caroly Shumway.

The co-PIs met with the staff at the Maldives National University (Shazla Mohamed (Dean), Mizna Mohamed (Senior Lecturer), Somnath (IT lecturer teaching GIS)), Environmental Protection Authority (Yazeed), and Ministry of Environment (Majeeda Mohamed) and the Director of Marine Research Center (Dr. Shiham Adam). 

Re-Installation of Soil Moisture Probes in Male

After taking the Soil Moisture probes back to Sri Lanka in January, we were able to reinstall these after testing and change of configuration in Meteorological Service. Dr. Zubair provided a workshop to the final year students in the bachelor’s in environmental management and IT program on research.

Staff Recruitment

Several staff members continued with the project while others moved on to other assignments. (Prabodha Agalawatte, Janan Vishwanathan, Ruchira Lokuhetti, Indika Sandamali, Akram Kamiss, Udara Ratnayake, Shashini Rathnayake, K. Shobana). During the course of the year, Janan Visvanathan and Ruchira Lokuhetti stayed through while others left and were replaced by– Ashara Nijamdeen, Manusha Lakmali, Tuan Hadgie, Jonathan Frank, Himash Ariyarathne, Duleeka Watugodapitiya, Charuni Jayasekera, F. Shakira, Nushrath Najimudeen, Asansa Abewardene, Tharuka Rankothge Chalani Malge and VPD Pubudini were recruited. They were oriented on literature, data, tools and software. Internship opportunities were provided at FECT for undergraduates. 

Infrastructure

Facilities for presenting seminars, video conferencing and remote communication were improved at FECT. Office security was improved considerably.

Data Acquisition

We were able to obtain a further fraction of the data required for this project – particularly on climate and socio-economic data in Sri Lanka and Maldives meteorological data. 

We have assembled an inventory of all available data and literature. 

We have distributed monthly drought estimation spatially. 

Water Scarcity Modeling

We have started on the water scarcity analysis for the Greater Male region and islands in the Huvadhoo Atoll.

Automated Weather Systems and Soil Moisture Systems

The automated weather systems installed in Sri Lanka and Maldives are functioning satisfactorily, and data is updated to the website and communicated via the internet.

http://www.tropicalclimate.org/myweatherdirectory/index.htm

The soil moisture probes, a field transmitter and data loggers handed over to the Maldives Met Services are now installed in the observatories of the MMS. A weather station and air pollution monitoring instrument were handed over to the Maldives National University.

Website and Communication

We have further improved the project website and linked it to the website. We continued email communication with researchers, stakeholders and users using Mailchimp.

Monthly and Weekly Climate Reports: We regularly continued our weekly, monthly and annual climate assessments for Sri Lanka and Maldives and have made it publicly available via our websites and through a mailing list.

Social Media: We have disseminated climate information and other relevant news by blogs (and through signing up for blog-aggregators), through facebook pages, and twitter accounts.

Flyer: Project flyers were prepared and distributed in Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Case Studies

Development of Text on the Geography of the Maldives

The PI, P. Wickramagamage is seeking to fill the lack of a Geography textbook for Maldives through some preliminary introductory material.

Ongoing Drought

17 of the 25 districts were severely affected by drought until August 2017. The drought abated for some regions with floods in May 2017. The magnitude of this drought was brought out through mapping drought indices and distributed. In addition, the climatic drivers to this drought – the role of El Nino and La Nina were explained.

El Nino Impacts on Corals

Due to the El Nino event in 2016 and the warming Arabian Sea, there was alarming coral bleaching in parts of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We have mapped out the spatial and temporal character of the oceanic temperature variation and its role in explaining the magnitude of the coral bleaching. Further work is ongoing.

Follow up to May 2016 Disaster

After the major disaster involving flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka from 15-19th May 2016, we have undertaken a review of the antecedent conditions leading to these disasters. We are working on a comprehensive compilation. Our staff have visited the locality, and met the local government, hospital, agricultural and energy managers in this region 3 times.

Flooding in Pinga Oya (at Akurana, Kandy), Sri Lanka

We have been providing technical input to an environment committee formed by civil society in Akurana which is a main town on the Pinga Oya a tributary of the Mahaweli River in Central Sri Lanka. During this year, this committee has presented an action plan to the MP of the area. We have used the past work we have undertaken through the PEER projects in informing the community of what contemporary science and research have to say.

Follow up to May 2016 Disaster

After the major disaster involving flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka from 15-19th May 2016, we have undertaken a review of the antecedent conditions leading to these disasters. We are working on a comprehensive compilation. Our staff have visited the locality, and met the local government, hospital, agricultural and energy managers in this region 3 times.

Analysis of Impacts of Norochcholai Coal Power Plant on Climate and Hazards

The co-PI (Zubair) contributed to the Environment Committee of the national utilities regulatory agencies – the Public Utilities Commission – as a member. During this year, fishermen and farmers in the area were admitted to the committee on the intervention of the Supreme Court. Dr. Zubair had previously engaged with this community and was able to help them given that he is the sole member of the Committee able to converse in Tamil