I. BACKGROUND

Asian Monsoon plays a significant role in the agriculture and the livelihood of people in the wider Southeast Asian Basin and its neighboring countries since it brings most of rainfall to this region. Naturally, while Asian Monsoon deviates from its normal pattern, it causes severe disasters such as floods and droughts, even resulting in the disruption of agricultural operation and the displacement of inhabitants. In addition, the extraordinary late monsoon onset leads to an extended length of high sea surface temperature, and thus increasing the risk of coral bleaching. In this sense, it is vital to improve the monitoring capability on monsoon onset in the wider Southeast Asia region for societal and ecosystem benefit.

To this end, in view of the fact that the Asian Monsoon is evidently influenced by and coupled with the ocean, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) initiated one pilot project entitled “Monsoon Onset Monitoring and its Social and Ecosystem Impact (MOMSEI)” in 2009 within its South East Asia Global Ocean Observing System (SEAGOOS) with objectives to improve the understanding and forecasting of Asia monsoon and its multi-scale variability at regional level through the conduct of air-sea interaction in the Monsoon birthplace, and the analysis of the possible link of monsoon onset with its impact on marine ecosystems.

In the light of increasing demand for capacity building, four MOMSEI summer schools were organized, respectively in Qingdao China 26-30 July 2010, Phuket Thailand 15-19 August 2011, Qingdao China 6-10 August 2012, and Terengganu Malaysia 19-23 August 2013 to bring the up-to-date monsoon science to young scientists from participating countries. In particular, besides the participants from MOMSEI participating countries, previous MOMSEI Summer Schools also received total seventeen trainees from countries bordering the Bay of Bengal, such as India, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka in close cooperation with the GEF/FAO Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project.

Building on the success of and strong interests received from the previous four Summer Schools, WESTPAC decided to organize, in cooperation with BOBLME project, its fifth MOMSEI Summer School in Bogor, Indonesia, 9-13 September 2014, with the kind host of the Research and Development Center for Marine and Coastal Resources (RDCMCR), Agency of Marine and Fishery Research (AMFR), Ministry of Marine and Fishery (MMAF); and Indonesian Agency for Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics (BMKG), Indonesia.

II. TRAINING CONTENTS

The MOMSEI Summer School-V will mainly consist of lecture sessions, wrap-up session and field studies. The Lecture Session aims to cover three themes, i.e. Asian Monsoon Climate; Regional Oceanography in the Indian Ocean; and Biochemical, Biological Processes and Fishery Resources.

Session 1: Asian Monsoon Climate

• The Seasonal Cycle and Inter-annual Variations of Asian Monsoon
• The Decadal, Inter-decadal and trend of Asian Monsoon

Session 2: Regional Oceanography in the Indian Ocean
• Monsoonal circulation in the Indian Ocean
• Tidal process and its data analysis

Session 3: Biochemical, Biological Processes and Fishery Resources
• Biochemical process and its link with monsoon forcing
• Biological process and its link with monsoon forcing
• Deep sea resources and Tuna fisheries in Indian Ocean

Wrap-up session is intended to have trainees share their research work, explore new ideas, and provide feedbacks on future development of MOMSEI project and MOMSEI Summer School.

Potential lecturers are being invited from several marine research institutes within and outside the region who have been working in this field, including the First Institute of Oceanography, SOA of China; Phuket Marine Biological Center, Thailand; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA; and Research Center for Fisheries Management and Conservation of Fish Resources, Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research and Development, Indonesia.

The Summer School will be conducted in English. Detailed program will be sent to all selected participants in due course.

III. TRAINEES

This Summer School is open to young scientists with Master degree or above with scientific background on oceanography, or meteorology, or marine biology and ecosystem.

For those who wish to join the summer school, please send your CV, the Application Form (see appendix 1), no later than 24 July 2014, to Dr Rita Tisiana Dwi Kuswardani (anastasia.tisiana@gmail.com), Dr Weidong Yu (wdyu@fio.org.cn) and with a copy to Mr Wenxi Zhu (w.zhu@unesco.org), Head of UNESCO/IOC Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC), Bangkok, Thailand.

IV. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Limited financial support for the most economic round-way travel and local expenditures is available upon request with selection priority given to the trainees from MOMSEI participating countries.

All funded trainees are required to reserve and purchase their round-trip tickets at economy class between their home country and Jakarta, Indonesia, and bring the original receipt of air flights and boarding pass to the Local Secretariat upon arrival. Reimbursement will be made during the Summer School.

V. DATE AND VENUE

The Fifth Summer School will take place on 9-13 September 2014 at NAM Centre Hotel, Kemayoran and the detailed address is as below.

NAM Hotel-Meeting & Convention Centrel, Kemayoran, Jln. Angkasa Blok B. 10 No.6, Jakarta Pusat 10610, Indonesia

VI. VISA

Participants traveling to Indonesia are perhaps required to have an entry visa in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. Please check visa requirements with the Indonesian Embassy/Consulate in your country, and apply for an entry-visa to Indonesia if required. The Local Secretariat and the WESTPAC Office will be glad to provide you any assistance if needed.

VII. TRANSPORTATION

All participants are required to send their itinerary and passport information to the local organizer at anastasia.tisiana@gmail.com (Dr Anna Kuswardani). Local Committee will provide airport pick-up and transportation for excursion or city tour.

Please note that the local committee will not reimburse transportation for personal purposes.

VIII. LOCAL CONTACT PERSON

Dr. Rita Tisiana Dwi Kuswardani
Research and Development Center for Marine and Coastal Resources (RDCMCR)
Agency of Marine and Fishery Affairs (AMFR)
Ministry of Marine and Fishery (MMAF)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Email: anastasia.tisiana@gmail.com