On Friday, October 20, 2023, the Ministry of Public Works (OW) officially launched the “Climate Implementation” initiative. This project aims to strengthen Suriname’s early warning systems and resilience against flooding brought on by excessive rain. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), CARICOM, and the India UN Development Partnership Fund are all funding this initiative.
According to Sergio Kadosoe, director of the Research and Services Department, an amount of 246,852 US Dollars has been donated. ” The project will be implemented for 18 months and is divided into 2 phases. In Phase 1, support for natural climate and community capacity is provided. The 2nd phase consists of innovation to introduce systems that can send warning signals in the event of climate change emergencies,” says Kadosoe. He thanked India and the UNDP for the good cooperation with the ministry.
OW Minister Riad Nurmohamed has indicated that Suriname has reached a milestone with this project. “It is important that new technology is added within our hydrological and meteorological services and that we prepare for possible climate changes,” said the minister. Krieshen Ramkhelawan, director of GISsat, provided further explanation about the new data system through a presentation. “The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a spatial system that creates, manages, analyzes and maps all types of geographic information systems for data. Some ministries are already using this system,” says Ramkhelawan.
Shankar Balachandran, Ambassador of India, thinks the GIS is a very efficient system with which data can be shared. He wished OW good luck with the implementation of this beautiful project. Berdi Berdiyev, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative predicts that the world’s climate will change extremely around 2030-2040, therefore action must be taken now to prevent rising sea levels, food shortages, prevent flooding and the disappearance of human, animal habitats and other disasters. Dewdath Bhaggoe, Deputy Director of Research and Innovation, assumes that climate change also has an effect on the economy, he is very happy with this project and hopes that water stations and more climate stations will also be constructed. Joana Kazana UN Resident Coordinator, congratulates Suriname on the upcoming developments and promises that her organization will continue to offer support.
