19 June 2023, Tarawa, Kiribati - After a lapse of eight years, the Kiribati Meteorological Services reconvened the Kiribati National Climate Outlook Forum in Tarawa, bringing together more than 25 participants for two days,13 to 14June, of in-depth discussions.
With a population of 122,735, the Republic of Kiribati is made up of 33 islands spread out across 3.5 million square kilometres of ocean. The Government of Kiribati, through its Kiribati Meteorological Services brought all its stakeholders together to share the latest climate outlook for the next three months, and discuss some of the major challenges affecting the effective use of climate information services.
“With the guidance and support of SPREP through the ClimSA Project, the Kiribati Meteorological Service aspires to transcend the role of a mere information provider and embrace the role of an agent of change,” said Tebwaatoki Taawetia, Secretary to the Office of Te Beretitenti President, when officiating the opening of the National Climate Outlook Forum.
“Today, we embark on a journey that takes us from knowledge to application, from data to action, and from awareness to tangible results. Together we have the power to transform the information we possess into concrete measures that safeguard our nation’s future.”
The Forum was made possible with funding from the European Union’s Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (Intra-ACP ClimSA) Project, implemented by SPREP. An additional Climate Outlook Forum will also be held on Kiritimati Island on 22 and 26 June for the Line and Phoenix Islands.
The National Climate Outlook Forum is a platform to promote the understanding of Meteorological events and exchange information needs between users of climate information and the Kiribati Meteorological Service. As the Kiribati Islands are scattered over a large ocean area, the National Climate Outlook Forum is hosted on two major islands. It is hosted on Tarawa for the Gilbert group and Kiritimati for the Line and Phoenix Island groups.
Mwata Keariki, the Assistant Climate Officer, presented Kiribati’s National Climate Outlook for June to August 2023, highlighted that although the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains in Neutral condition, it is anticipated that it will change to be on El Niño alert during this coming season.
Kiribati is also expected to receive above normal levels of rainfall and experience higher than normal temperatures in the next three months. The Ocean Outlook for the coming three months were also shared and discussed; of particular concern was the extreme spring tide forecasted to adversely impact the islands at 4:33am on 31 August, potentially reaching 2.94m in height.
Currently, the biggest threats to the lives and livelihoods of I-Kiribati people are from extreme spring tides and strong winds. An average of 25 extreme spring tides hammers the fragile islands in a year, and when accompanied by strong winds with speeds of 25 knots or more, wreaks havoc on the already vulnerable populace.
The support for the Kiribati National Climate Outlook Forum is a result of the initial Intra-ACP ClimSA Project mission to Kiribati in March earlier this year, where the Kiribati Meteorological Services requested for support to reconvene this crucial forum, and highlighted other challenges they faced in providing its stakeholders with access to climate information.
At the end of the first day of the forum, participants expressed strong interest in deepening their understanding on the range of climate information services that have been developed and are being developed by the Kiribati Meteorological Services for the different sectors, particularly for Fisheries and Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Intra-ACP ClimSA Project is committed to supporting the Kiribati National Climate Outlook Forum for the next three years, and aims to ensure that all stakeholders have improved understanding of weather, climate and ocean product and services, whilst supporting the Kiribati Meteorological Services in meeting their information needs.