Climate Change Resilience
By Mr. Gregory Moses – NBC News PNG

22 July, 2015, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, PMC-3 - Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and territories in the Pacific, will now benefit from a program established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).                                                                             

WMO Development and Regional Activities Director Robert Masters said the Third International Conference on SIDS launched the Small Island Developing States Programme with assistance from Environment Canada in Samoa last year.

Masters said the programme is aimed at increasing the resilience of Small Island States and Territories to extreme weather events and other adverse impacts of climate change, which has affected over 3. 5 million people causing damage to property valued at about US$34 billion since the 1970s.

He said the SIDS Accelerated Modality of Actions (SAMOA) Pathway is covered under the WMO Operating Plan 2016 to 2019, and aims to improve the delivery of weather and climate information services in the region.

WMO
WMO launched new SIDS programme

The WMO Development and Regional Activities Director also said other areas this pathway will address are human and technical capacities at National and Regional Climate Centers, increase the range of products and services delivery to stakeholders, foster the South – South and North- South Co-operation and expand the infrastructure required for weather and climate research and services- #PacMC2015

Mr. Gregory Moses is a reporter for the National Broadcast Corporation of PNG

This article was developed by a Pacific Media Team of Reporters currently providing coverage on the Third Pacific Meteorological Council in Tonga.  This activity coordinated by SPREP is supported by a partnership including the Government of Tonga, SPREP, Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS).