Climate Change Resilience
The Solomon Islands Met Services (SIMS) are now better equipped to participate in the Online Climate Outlook Forums (OCOF), with the handover of a conference telephone to SIMS Representative Mr Alick Haruhiru last this month.

The telephone set was handed over by Ms. Tagaloa Cooper, the Director of the Climate Change Resilience Programme during the Research Strategy Workshop which was hosted at Taumeasina Island Resort in Apia, Samoa. The initiative was funded by the Government of Australia, through the Climate and Oceans Support Programme for Pacific (COSPPac).

"Supporting National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) varies in scale and they all count. Small assistance such as the provision of this phone go a long way to assisting NMHSs effectively participate in regional monthly climate forums," says SPREP Meteorological and Climate Officer, Mr Salesa Nihmei.

IMG 4592 copyMs Tagaloa Cooper, Director of SPREP's Climate Change Resilience Programme and Mr Alick Haruhiru of the Solomon Islands Met Service. Photo: SPREP

"As some might be aware, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) through the COSPPac project conducts online climate outlook forums (OCOF) with many of the Pacific NMHS on a monthly basis to discuss seasonal climate forecast. Climate Outlooks enables the NMHSs to inform end-users to make decisions on the predicted climate in the coming months," Mr Nihmei added.

Access to reliable and clear phone connection is very difficult when hosting teleconferences, especially in smaller NMHS. There are many challenges with internet, line connections and others but having a multiple teleconference phone will enable SIMS to not only be part of the OCOFs every month but further expand their NMHS services to engage with their stakeholders.

Papua New Guinea Met Services also requested SPREP through the COSPPac project to provide a teleconference phone as well.

SPREP COSPPac Climatology Officer, Mr. Philip Malsale confirms procurement of teleconference phones for all Met services participating in OCOF and will be handed to NMSs in Tonga during the COSPPac Steering Committee meeting on 8-11 May 2018.