31 July 2024, Betio, Kiribati – Several models and observations have shown that the Pacific is gearing up for yet another La Niña event, which is likely to being in November 2024, and the Kiribati Meteorological Service (KMS) is wasting no time in preparing for this occurrence.
La Niña is the name given to the phenomenon whereby there is an increase in the strength and intensity of trade winds which enhances the warm pool in the Western Pacific, causing sea surface temperatures in the Central and Eastern Pacific to become cooler. It is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which is a major climate driver that influences normal rainfall, temperature, and sea level patterns across the Pacific.
For the small atoll nation of Kiribati in the Central Pacific, a La Niña event is associated with below normal levels of rainfall resulting in dry to seriously dry conditions, cooler air and sea surface temperatures, lower sea levels, and strong easterly winds.
Potential impacts include water wells becoming brackish and affecting the already limited supply of freshwater, which will require people to resort to extreme water rationing. There will also be health impacts such as the spread of dengue fever, diarrhoea, and pink-eye, and increased fire risk.
The Director of the Kiribati Meteorological Service (KMS), Mr. Ueneta Toorua, said that with the high possibility of a La Nina developing later this year, it is crucial for the KMS to start preparing not only their teams but the communities beforehand.
“Being well prepared for a La Niña is crucial for Kiribati as droughts and associated impacts and issues are always exacerbated during these events,” Director Toorua said.
“With assistance from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac) and the Climate Risks and Early Waring Systems (CREWS) projects, we are drawing from our experiences with past La Niña events and using them to revisit and revise our existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that any gaps that were identified from those previous events and areas that need to be improved on are addressed before the upcoming La Niña is declared.”
“This will help strengthen our climate services in terms of improving the information and warnings that are issued from KMS, but also very importantly, improving the coordination between us and our National Disaster Management Office,” Director Toorua added.
In addition to revising the existing SOPs, a range of communications products are also being developed by the KMS and SPREP teams, which will ensure that the different sectors and communities are well informed of the updates on the La Niña at every stage of its development – from a La Niña Watch, to a La Niña Alert, to a fully developed and declared La Niña event.
According to Ms. Siosinamele Lui, SPREP’s COSPPac Traditional Knowledge Adviser, the value in having these templates and products developed ahead of time is to ensure the timely dissemination of information of tailored information for the different sectors such as Water, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Health.
“With these products, we want to communicate this information, which is often very scientific in nature, in a way that can be easily understood by, and relevant to, people from various sectors so that they can understand and anticipate the impacts that are forthcoming,” Ms. Lui said.
The product templates and revised SOPs will be part of a simulation exercise to be held with the KMS, NDMO and response agencies, and will be a good opportunity to collect feedback from other key stakeholders on how to strengthen Kiribati’s response and resilience to this event.
For more information, please contact Ms. Siosinamele Lui at [email protected].