TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) said Tuesday (Aug. 24) it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Central Weather Bureau to assist Taiwan’s diplomatic allies with the latest weather technology to resist the impact of climate change.

Several of the country’s allies are small islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean that are prone to suffering from storms and rising water levels under the influence of climate change.

The ICDF said the agreement should help residents of the countries take a more proactive stance, preventing disasters instead of merely reacting to them with relief measures, CNA reported.

The MOU would not only benefit the allies by providing them with valuable information but also the Central Weather Bureau by internationalizing its weather-related services and technology, according to the ICDF. Disaster prevention would not be the only focus of the program, as agriculture also stood to benefit from accurate weather forecasting.

Related subjects were included in recent agreements by the ICDF with Saint Christopher and Nevis, Belize, Nicaragua, and Honduras, with plans for a similar project with Guatemala.

The focus on climate change would add an extra dimension to Taiwan’s foreign aid and help both sides to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, according to the ICDF.