Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Project (PICPP)

  • Cook Islands,
  • Fiji,
  • Kiribati,
  • Niue,
  • Papua New Guinea (PNG),
  • Samoa,
  • Solomon Islands,
  • Tonga,
  • Tuvalu,
  • Vanuatu,
  • Pacific

ENTRY DATE: 09.03.2012 | LAST UPDATE: 09.03.2012

SCALE:

  • Sub-regional Level

TARGET AREA:

BEST PRACTICE IN:

  • Project Implementation

KEY SECTOR:

  • Agriculture

FUNDING AMOUNT:

  • USD 1,000,001 - USD 5,000,000

Description of Intervention

In 2001, a needs analysis for strengthening meteorological services in Pacific Island Countries (PICs), funded by AusAID, found that the majority of NMSs in the region were encountering many difficulties in providing basic meteorological services to the citizens and industries of their countries.

Problems to be Addressed

There is a need to enhance the ability of NMSs to provide seasonal climate forecast services. In response to this identified need, AusAID, in collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology developed a project plan for enabling participating PICs to generate and make use of seasonal predictions. The project plan emphasises the need from the outset to develop a framework for incorporating climate prediction information into decision-making processes across a broad range of agencies and industries affected by seasonal climate variability. To ensure a satisfactory level of confidence in the forecasts, the forecast scheme has to be based on sound science and proven techniques, and for this reason the scheme to be implemented is based on the current operational seasonal climate prediction system used by the Bureau of Meteorology for Australia.

Aims

The aim of this project was to strengthen climate prediction in Pacific Island countries. It aimed to expand the use of climate forecasting by Pacific Island countries in industries/agencies, which use climate information, including agriculture, tourism, water resource managers and health authorities. The project ended in December 2009.

Objectives

At the end of the project implementation, the NMS of each participating country will have software tailored for use in its location, and a thorough understanding of how seasonal climate prediction services can be applied to support climate-sensitive decision making. Key representatives of climate-sensitive activities (e.g. agriculture, water management, disaster mitigation) to receive training in the effective use of climate predictions in the risk management context. In turn, the growth in productivity and efficiency that will follow in climate sensitive industries will naturally result in better food security, improved public health, better managed water resources, and more robust national economies.

How it fits into the EbA concept

At the end of the project implementation, the NMS of each participating country are to have software tailored for use in its location, and a thorough understanding of how seasonal climate prediction services can be applied to support climate-sensitive decision making in industry and government. Key representatives of climate-sensitive activities (e.g. agriculture, water management, disaster mitigation) will have received training in the effective use of climate predictions in a risk management context. It is hoped that in turn, the growth in productivity and efficiency that will follow in climate-sensitive industries will naturally flow through to better food security, improved public health, better managed water resources and more robust national economies.

Relevant Publications

Project Summary