Climate Change Resilience
The successful completion of two regional workshops strengthening Pacific meteorology on the cusp of the Third Pacific Meteorological Council helped lay the foundation for a productive week ahead.
The Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Regional Training and Inception Workshop and the Regional Media Training Workshop funded by FINPAC and PACMAS, was officially closed by Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, and the Minister of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) of the Government of Tonga.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, at the closing ceremony
"E-government and improvement of the free flow of information to support decision making is a top priority for the Government of Tonga. We are also investing in the development of a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System to ensure safety of our people," said the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister.
"The role that the National Meteorological Services and the Media play in generating and communicating the right information at the right time and right place are paramount in order to have a well-informed society".
The two regional workshops were aimed at different audiences. One was to strengthen the ability of Pacific Meteorologists to generate three monthly forecasts with a Climate Predictions System Tool - "CLIK". It's the start of a three year project funded by the Government of Republic of Korea.
The Pacific media were the focus of the second workshop that was aimed at strengthening their reporting skills on Weather and Climate through the Finland-Pacific Project that aims to reduce the vulnerability of Pacific islanders to climate change impacts. The Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) also supported this event through their Broadcasters Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan Project.
Both workshops were held over a three day duration from 15 to 17 July, 2015 in anticipation of the Third Pacific Meteorological Council PMC-3 with the participants of the Media workshop remaining to provide coverage.
History will be made yet again in Tonga this year with this event, Tonga will be the very first Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology to take place next week. The high level event follows on from the third Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting (PMC-3) bringing together all of the Met Service Directors from the region.
Also to participate in the PMC-3 are development partners, Council of the Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP), collaborating organisations, and institutions.
The Pacific Meteorological Council is a biannual event, this being the third since the Council was formed. Prior to this the event was called the Regional Meteorological Service Directors Meeting which first began in 1993. It will be held from 20 – 23 July, followed by the very first Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology on 24 July.
This year the theme is "Sustainable Weather and Climate Services for a Resilient Pacific."
Weather and climate services play an important role in the current developments of the Pacific nations through their early warning services, advice on climate and weather extreme events and the successful integration of climate change in sustainable development matters.
"Reaching this milestone in coordinating such a high level event is testament to the value we place on the crucial role that our Pacific Meteorological Services play," said Dr. NetatuaPelesikoti, the Director of the Climate Change Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), home to the Pacific Met Desk Partnership.
"Globally 90 per cent of natural disasters are caused by weather and climate related hazards. In the Pacific, the majority of hazards are weather and climate related. Cyclones accounted for 76 per cent of reported disasters from 1950 to 2004 followed by earthquakes, droughts and floods. This is our opportunity to pave a way forward to strengthen our Met Services."
The Ministerial level meeting will discuss, promote and explore avenues for resources for weather and climate services in order to contribute more effectively to the sustainable development needs of Pacific island countries and territories.
The one week event will be held at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa. News bulletins will be developed on the event by the team of Pacific island reporters funded by the Government of Finland under the FINPAC Project which helps reduce the vulnerability of Pacific island communities to the impacts of climate change, and PACMAS the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme under the National Broadcast Climate and Disaster Resilience Project.
The Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Regional Training and Inception workshop was attended by climate scientists from National Meteorological Services of the participating countries Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Pacific Media Workshop was attended by journalists from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and was co-facilitated by Mr.SamisoniPareti, Managing Editor of Islands Business Magazine.
Should you wish to receive copies of the news bulletins developed during the PMC-3 please contact [email protected]
For more information on the Third Pacific Meteorological Council and the First Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology please visit: http://www.pacificclimatechange.net/index.php/pmc
The Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Regional Training and Inception Workshop and the Regional Media Training Workshop funded by FINPAC and PACMAS, was officially closed by Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, and the Minister of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) of the Government of Tonga.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, at the closing ceremony"E-government and improvement of the free flow of information to support decision making is a top priority for the Government of Tonga. We are also investing in the development of a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System to ensure safety of our people," said the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister.
"The role that the National Meteorological Services and the Media play in generating and communicating the right information at the right time and right place are paramount in order to have a well-informed society".
The two regional workshops were aimed at different audiences. One was to strengthen the ability of Pacific Meteorologists to generate three monthly forecasts with a Climate Predictions System Tool - "CLIK". It's the start of a three year project funded by the Government of Republic of Korea.
The Pacific media were the focus of the second workshop that was aimed at strengthening their reporting skills on Weather and Climate through the Finland-Pacific Project that aims to reduce the vulnerability of Pacific islanders to climate change impacts. The Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) also supported this event through their Broadcasters Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan Project.
Both workshops were held over a three day duration from 15 to 17 July, 2015 in anticipation of the Third Pacific Meteorological Council PMC-3 with the participants of the Media workshop remaining to provide coverage.
History will be made yet again in Tonga this year with this event, Tonga will be the very first Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology to take place next week. The high level event follows on from the third Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting (PMC-3) bringing together all of the Met Service Directors from the region.
Members of the two workshops with the Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon.Siaosi Sovaleni
Also to participate in the PMC-3 are development partners, Council of the Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP), collaborating organisations, and institutions.
The Pacific Meteorological Council is a biannual event, this being the third since the Council was formed. Prior to this the event was called the Regional Meteorological Service Directors Meeting which first began in 1993. It will be held from 20 – 23 July, followed by the very first Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology on 24 July.
This year the theme is "Sustainable Weather and Climate Services for a Resilient Pacific."
Weather and climate services play an important role in the current developments of the Pacific nations through their early warning services, advice on climate and weather extreme events and the successful integration of climate change in sustainable development matters.
"Reaching this milestone in coordinating such a high level event is testament to the value we place on the crucial role that our Pacific Meteorological Services play," said Dr. NetatuaPelesikoti, the Director of the Climate Change Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), home to the Pacific Met Desk Partnership.
"Globally 90 per cent of natural disasters are caused by weather and climate related hazards. In the Pacific, the majority of hazards are weather and climate related. Cyclones accounted for 76 per cent of reported disasters from 1950 to 2004 followed by earthquakes, droughts and floods. This is our opportunity to pave a way forward to strengthen our Met Services."
The Ministerial level meeting will discuss, promote and explore avenues for resources for weather and climate services in order to contribute more effectively to the sustainable development needs of Pacific island countries and territories.
The one week event will be held at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa. News bulletins will be developed on the event by the team of Pacific island reporters funded by the Government of Finland under the FINPAC Project which helps reduce the vulnerability of Pacific island communities to the impacts of climate change, and PACMAS the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme under the National Broadcast Climate and Disaster Resilience Project.
The Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Regional Training and Inception workshop was attended by climate scientists from National Meteorological Services of the participating countries Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Pacific Media Workshop was attended by journalists from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and was co-facilitated by Mr.SamisoniPareti, Managing Editor of Islands Business Magazine.
Should you wish to receive copies of the news bulletins developed during the PMC-3 please contact [email protected]
For more information on the Third Pacific Meteorological Council and the First Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology please visit: http://www.pacificclimatechange.net/index.php/pmc