New Delhi, Mar 1 (IANS): India's Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday launched the International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO) virtually on the occasion of National Science Day 2022.

The office will be hosted at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, under the Earth Sciences Muinistry, initially for five years.

"The IMPO is a step towards making India a global hub for monsoon research and coordination in a seamless manner for addressing common and region-specific aspects of the monsoons around the world," he said.

He emphasised that setting up the IMPO will give huge impetus to global monsoon research yielding mutual benefits to both the international and Indian research fraternity.

As part of its core responsibilities, the IMPO would support activities of the Monsoons Panel, jointly established by the World Climate Research Programme's CLIVAR (Climate and Ocean Variability, Predictability, and Change) and GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Exchanges) projects. IMPO will also extend support to the World Weather Research Programme's working group on tropical meteorology research.

The launch of IMPO is aligned with this year's theme of the National Science Day - 'Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future'. It also precedes the 7th WMO International Workshop on Monsoons which is being organised in India jointly by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the World Climate Research Programme, and the World Weather Research Programme in March 2022. The international workshop would be a huge forum for global researchers and stakeholders to discuss advances and issues involving monsoons as key components of earth system science-related phenomena.

It would also encompass activities and connections related to international monsoon research that would be identified and fostered under the leadership of the World Climate Research Programme and the World Weather Research Programme.