(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles Meteorological Authority will be hosting a regional climate change portal as the authority entered a collaborative agreement with the Indian Ocean Commission recently.

The South West Indian Ocean Regional Climate Change Portal seeks to raise awareness of climate change issues in Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion Island, Zanzibar and Seychelles.

Vincent Amelie, the chief executive of the Seychelles Meteorological Authority, said that a system where information can be shared regionally about climate change was missing.

“Many things have been happening in the region but we never had a mechanism in place where countries know exactly what efforts are being done in respective countries. The climate change portal provides a good opportunity where we can have access to more information for a more collaborative approach between countries,” said Amelie.

The portal will create a platform for shared understanding of climate change and its impacts. It will also allow officials to comprehend island vulnerability and adaptation at all levels. It will also present innovative solutions and successful experiences that may have potential implications for policy decisions and responses to challenges in the Western Indian Ocean.

Amelie said that the 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean decided to host the portal “because we have seen the importance of it and that we are ready to include the financial implications in the budget so we are able to maintain the system as per the agreement. Data sharing is critical for our development.”

Data on the portal will showcase challenges that each country faces, climate change-related projects in motion, emissions and climate perspectives. A section will be dedicated to providing national, regional and international climate change related news and events.

Signed by Amelie and the secretary general of the Indian Ocean Commission, Hamada Madi, the agreement enables both parties to jointly finance, update and moderate the electronic portal for a one-year period.

The agreement will be ongoing until the meteorological authority can assume full responsibility of the portal.

Madi said that having a portal were island states can inform and keep informed will help towards sustainable development.

“If there is a region in the world that has a great understanding of climate change, I think it is island-states. We understand the impacts because we live it through our farmers, our fishermen and the likes,” said Madi.

With pages dedicated to adaptation, vulnerability, actions and mitigation, the portal is available in English and French.

A minimum of two blogs will be uploaded to the portal monthly and both parties will be responsible for moderating the contents before they are published.