Climate Change Resilience
The Climate Prediction System known as 'CLIK Pacific' was successfully installed at the Secretariat of the Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) this week. The new climate prediction system will allow the National Meteorological Services drive the system and select which models simulate their local climate better. CLIK Pacific can also combine eight different climate models also known as a Multi-Model Ensemble, into one regional forecast as well as forecast maps for individual countries.

"This new electronic installation will make a positive impact in the seasonal forecast for our Pacific island members, the meteorological agencies in the region asked us to create a tool to manipulate all climate prediction models and that's what have we delivered today – so it is very special," said Mr. Sunny Seuseu, Project Manager of the Korea-Pacific islands Climate Prediction Project.

"The climate and weather has a huge impact on the lives of Pacific islanders, with this we will be able to help the different community groups be better prepared in all areas, that range from agriculture, tourism, fishing and even community events."

image003Mr. Tile Tofaeono, Principal Scientific Officer, Samoa Meteorological Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment running the
Climate Prediction software CLIK Pacific with project team from APEC Climate Center.

The installation of the CLIK Pacific is part of the Government of the Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Project (ROK-PI CLIPS) which is implemented by the APEC Climate Center and SPREP. The project is funded by the Government of Korea through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and runs for three years.

A team of experts from the APEC Climate Center visited SPREP to install the climate prediction system. The team consisted of Dr. Jin-Ho Yoo, Team Leader – Climate Prediction; Dr Hyunrok Lee, Ms Bo Ra Kim, International Project Manager, and Mr. Sangcheol Kim, Computer software engineer.

CLIK Pacific will provide the capacity to 14 National Meteorological Services (NMSs) in the Pacific region generate advanced 3-monthly seasonal climate forecasts as early warning information to support decision making in local communities and sectors from climate risks.

Seasonal climate prediction services play a critical role in utilising advance climate prediction (early warning outlook information) to understand the causes, impacts and necessary provisions to prepare for anticipated extreme climate events.

"The climate prediction system and its data component will allow scientific officers and researchers in the pacific to understand the large scale features that influences their countries climate, and ability to provide forecasts on climate extremes" said Dr. Jin-Ho Yoo

"The climate prediction system will also provide access to 8 dynamical climate models which are all atmosphere-ocean coupled models with the exception of the Chinese Weather Bureau (CWB) model"

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Rainfall Outlook Forecast for the Pacific for the December 2015 to February 2016 season

A demonstration of the CLIK Pacific was also conducted at the Samoa Meteorological Services, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on the 15th December 2015 which was also successful. Staff from the Climate Section was trained on the different functionalities of the system.

In the coming year, there will be demonstration of the CLIK Pacific tool in beneficiary countries such as Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. A regional training workshop is also planned to discuss the downscaling component of the project.

For more information please contact Dr. Netatua Pelesikoti, Director of Climate Change Division [email protected] or Dr Jin-Ho Yoo, APEC Climate Center [email protected]