EDWARD Maru who is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Meteorology at the University of Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan has set out his master thesis based on tropical cyclones in the country.

Mr Maru, who worked as a forecaster in the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services (SIMS) prior to embarking on study August last year, is here with his professor, Dr Kosuke Ito, to assess the country’s weather forecasting systems to support his thesis, before returning to Japan.

Mr Maru is among the first batch of 41 pacific island participants studying in Japan under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Co-Creation programme dubbed Pacific Leaders’ Educational Assistance for Development of State (Pacific-LEADS).

Interestingly in leading up to his thesis, Mr Maru in his research found out that the number of tropical cyclones occurrence in the country is decreasing, but the intensity becomes violent. Maru has also conduct a weather simulation.

In a joint interview yesterday, the two have stated that Mr Maru took the issue with the underlying aims of the thesis.

“Tropical cyclone is a hazard that causes economic loss, widespread destructions, and sometimes human lives are lost,” said Mr Maru.

With his study domain on tropical cyclone, trafficking intensity and all the scientific aspects of tropical cyclone – improve early warning system is his aim to help improve the country’s forecasting centre upon the completion of his study.

His professor, Dr Kosuke highlighted that in addition to the understanding of general meteorology and tropical cyclone science he hope Mr Maru will accomplish to the following

• construct the climatological statistics of tropical cyclones approaching to Solomon Islands

 

• Learn the procedure of tropical cyclone forecast done in RSMC Tokyo which he (Maru) planned to visit in August – September this year.

 

• Construct an affordable regional; weather prediction system for Solomon Islands and

 

• Acquire observation technique and verification.

 

“As he mentioned his aim to improve the forecasting in this country, so I myself have to check what kind of forecasting is done in this country.

I first visited the meteorological office, and been to several meteorological observation sites and numerical weather systems.

“I think it’s good than I heard from the story from other Japanese Scientist, the condition is much better than I heard from them,” said Dr Kosuke.

He relates that it’s a very big challenge for Mr Maru to improve the forecasting because SIMS get results from Europe, Japan, US and other sources.

“For further improvement I think the human resource development is one of the important aspects because the officers must understand the information and the reliability of the results.

“To improve the numerical weather prediction systems might not be possible, but he can further improve forecasting,” Dr Kosuke adds.

Mr Maru joined together with seven other Solomon Islands government workers joined other pacific islanders on a two year Pacific LEADS scholarship which he hopes to complete by October 2018, with his final thesis to be submitted before 30 or 31 October 2018.