In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, India cooperated with partners in Asia and Africa to establish a regional early warning system within a multi-hazard framework for the generation and communication of early warning information, and capacity building for preparedness and response to trans-boundary hazards.
The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early warning Systems (RIMES) was established in 2009, and registered with the United Nations on 1 July 2009. RIMES operates from its regional early warning center located at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani, Thailand.
The primary focus of RIMES is to build joint efforts for enhancing capacity building of national to local level institutions on all aspects of end-to-end early warning, within each Member States early warning frameworks.
The 12 member states of RIMES are : Bangladesh, Cambodia, Comoros, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. In addition, there are 19 Collaborating Countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.
India is the Chair of the RIMES Executive Board. India provides extensive financial and in-kind support to RIMES in support of its collective activities.
The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) (www.ncmrwf.gov.in) based in Noida (of the Ministry of Earth Sciences) provides global outputs as well as high performance computing resources to RIMES to generate customised products for Member States. RIMES also facilitates sharing of observation data from Member States and in validation of NCMRWF outputs.
The Indian National centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) (www.incois.gov.in) based in Hyderabad (of the Ministry of Earth Sciences) provides customised high resolution ocean state forecast products through RIMES to Member States for meeting their marine forecasting applications. RIMES facilitates feedback from Member States and validation of outputs.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences supports expansion of the targeted efforts, under RIMES umbrella, towards research, education, communication, and the application of proven knowledge science and technology. Strategic investments, of human resources and capital in such matters, as they relate to hazards, offer the promise of producing significant reductions in the loss of life and property from natural, technological and human-induced disasters. One of the mechanisms prioritized is of funding support from Government of India to RIMES to address priorities identified by RIMES Member States and Collaborating Countries.
India remains committed to contributing to the expansion of RIMES activities as part of our efforts to strengthen regional collaboration and capacity building under south-south cooperation.