Honiara, Solomon Islands (19 May 2025) – Participants from four countries in the Melanesian sub-region (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) are attending a training in Honiara, Solomon Islands, to boost their knowledge of climate services’ value chain from production to delivery. The week-long workshop includes communications activities with tangible outputs such as creating social media content, and infographics and analysing feedback captured from users of climate information.
“The World Meteorological Organization’s latest reports underscore a stark reality: the nine years between 2015 and 2023 were the warmest on record, with climate extremes growing more frequent and intense,” said Mr. Salesa Nihmei, Officer in Charge - Climate Science and Information Programme (CSI) at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
“Here in the Pacific, where our communities are on the frontlines of cyclones, rising seas, and unpredictable weather, the need for actionable climate information has never been greater. Over 80% of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) submitted globally now recognize climate services as vital to resilience-building. Yet only 14% of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) worldwide operate at an advanced level—where tailored, co-designed services meet the needs of end-users. This training is our opportunity to bridge that gap,” said Mr. Nihmei explained.
As part of its commitment to increasing the effectiveness of Pacific NMHSs to provide essential and advanced climate services to end users, the European Union-funded Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Programme, implemented by SPREP, has developed a Knowledge Brokers Training curriculum for Pacific NMHSs.
This curriculum includes modules on the Climate Services Value Chain, mainstreaming climate information through digital platforms and traditional media, organising and hosting online events, graphic design and video production, digital content creation, media management, and monitoring and evaluation of user feedback.
Speaking at the official opening of the Melanesia sub-regional training, Mr. Nihmei highlighted that the focus will be on empowering Pacific NMHSs as knowledge brokers, equipping them with the tools to transform complex climate data into clear, actionable insights.
“Through hands-on sessions, you will master digital communication, enhance media engagement and integrate user feedback, ensuring your services meet the real-world needs of farmers, fishers, policymakers, and communities,” Mr. Nihmei added.
The training curriculum was designed, and its delivery led by the Intra-ACP ClimSA and supported by an expert team from the Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac) within the Pacific Community (SPC), illustrating the close partnership between the COSPPac and Intra-ACP ClimSA programmes to supporting members.
“Social media influencers, sports celebrities, entertainment news and global politics make headlines almost hourly, whilst long term climate forecasts and expected climate extremes barely getting a mention in mainstream media. The changing landscape of how people consume information has evolved and continues to do so rapidly, signalling the need for climate science communication to be accurate and relevant, while being easy enough to use for decision making,” explained Patricia Mallam, Knowledge Broker for Intra-ACP ClimSA Pacific.
“The complexity of science communication has given rise to the profession of knowledge brokers, whose roles encompasses a range of functions - from research and one-way information dissemination, through to knowledge co-production and developing a system of evaluating feedback for ongoing improvements. The end goal is to improve how knowledge is used to make decisions, and to do so, we must first look at who the decision makers are, how they access and use climate information and understand the value of the information they need, in the context in which they function, before working together to co-develop customised climate information products that will be effective,” added Ms. Mallam.
About ClimSA Pacific:
The Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Programme in the Pacific is a transformative initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by SPREP in partnership with the ACP Secretariat. ClimSA Pacific aims to strengthen climate information services, enhance early warning systems, and empower decision-making across key sectors through tailored, actionable climate products. By supporting National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and regional coordination, ClimSA Pacific is building a more resilient and climate-informed Pacific community.