Friday 10 / May / 2024
Muscat: The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has elected its new executive council members for the years 2017 to 2019.
Oman received 101 votes out of a total of 115 votes. The Director General of Meteorology at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation, Juma Bin Said Al Maskari will be the Sultanate’s representative. The Council holds two meetings during the two-year intervals. The Executive Council’s functions include exercising the responsibilities delegated to it by the assembly and implementing decisions.
The aim of the IOC is to promote international cooperation in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean.
Protection of the marine environment is also a significant objective for the IOC.
The IOC has been responsible for the development of early warning systems for tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Last year, the government of Oman collaborated with the IOC-UNESCO for designing a National Multi Hazard Early Warning System (NMHEWS), developed to respond to water-related hazards.
The national system’s aim is to protect the citizens and residents and prevent a deadly repeat of incidents, such as Gonu in 2007.
