Effective communication of scientific information

A five-day regional training workshop on “Communicating Scientific Information to Policy Makers” opened this week at Aanari Hotel & Spa in Flic en Flac. The objective is to improve decision making and the development of policies based on the scientific data, products and bulletins that are generated under the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA)-Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) project.

Organised by the Mauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI), the workshop is being attended by around 30 participants, namely National Focal Point from Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), member states and Eastern African countries as well as the technical focal points from the National Beneficiary Institutions. Participants will receive training on different ways to communicate scientific information contained in MESA products/bulletins to decision makers and policy makers by identifying the most appropriate policy audience, preparing policy briefs, preparing various types of written communication materials, and preparing policy presentations.

Present at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands, Mr Premdut Koonjoo stated that the MESA project comes at an opportune time to strengthen our planning capacity in various sectors of the economy including environmental protection, food security, marine resources management and climate change. Marine research and innovation, he said, are essential inputs to informed policies and management and is critical to developing solutions, to and opportunities from, these challenges.

Mr Koonjoo recalled that in this context Government is taking major steps to position MOI as a Centre of Excellence in oceanography. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the National Institute of Oceanography Goa towards the setting up of a World Class Research Institute of Oceanography in Mauritius. A sum of Rs 20 million has also been earmarked for the purchase of a multi-purpose vessel for research, surveys and training of fishermen and skippers.

The MESA project is a contractual project between the MOI and the African Union Commission with funding and endorsement from the European Union. The MESA programme is currently delivering products and operational services to African users in the areas such as agricultural production, monitoring and assessment of droughts, wildfires, land degradation mitigation, coastal and marine resources management, water resources management, natural habitat conservation, rangeland management and forest monitoring.