'International Monsoons Project Office' was launched on the occasion of National Science Day. For the first five years, this office will be hosted by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, an institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.
Its establishment refers to the importance of monsoons for the national economy. It will include activities and connections related to international monsoon research and will be fostered under the leadership of the 'World Climate Research Programme' and the 'World Meteorological Research Programme'.
Its main objective is to expand an integrated scientific approach to address the seasonal changes due to monsoon and to make India a global centre of monsoon research and coordination.
It will support the activities of Monsoon Panel jointly set up by the 'Climate and Ocean Variability, Prediction and Change (CLIVAR) and Global Energy and Water Exchange (GEWEX) projects.