Met Services ‘Pacific Desk’ for the region to be based at SPREP

14 March 2011, Alofi, Niue - An update on the work of the Pacific Meteorological Services was presented during a special lunchtime session at the Pacific Climate Change Roundtablen (PCCR) in Alofi, Niue.

 

This segment by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was to inform participants about the work that has taken place since the Review of the Pacific Meteorological Services was completed a year ago.

The Review was held over a period of two years and involved in country visits of eight different SPREP members. It concluded with 10 key recommendations that were divided into three sub groups; Strengthening of the Fiji Meteorological Services; Regional support and Coordination; Strengthening National Meteorological Services.

“We’ve made some progress with the strengthening of regional support and coordination, which more or less means we have covered 80% of the review recommendations in that regard,” said Dean Solofa the Pacific Islands Global Climate Observation System (PIGCOS) at SPREP.

“Forming the ‘Pacific Desk’ at SPREP to help manage and implement the incoming ten-year strategy to bring about stronger met services in our region. It will consist of a team led by the Meteorology Climatology Adviser (MeCA), a new position for our region.”

The ‘Pacific desk’ will also provide technical support for strengthening meteorological services to the Pacific island countries and territories. This team establishes the foundation to carry out the recommendations made in the regional met service review.

“This will support SPREP’s role in helping the meteorology departments of the region provide a stronger service for their communities, SPREP is very pleased to be able to assist with this,” said David Sheppard the SPREP Director.

“We understand the importance of the met services to the Pacific and our role in supporting them is one we take seriously.”

The Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation is a partner providing support for the ‘Pacific desk’ which plans to be in action by July this year.