14 November 2025, Belém, Brazil - Sustainable financing to support and sustain meteorological equipment and infrastructure is an urgent need for Pacific islands, at COP30.
This was highlighted during the ‘Sustainable Asset Management Financing (SAMF) for Meteorological Equipment and Infrastructure in the Pacific Region’ side event at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, on the margins of COP30. The side event explored innovative approaches to secure long-term climate data and sustain people centred, multi-hazard early warning services.
Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology of Solomon Islands, Hon. Polycarp Paea shared Solomon Islands experience and best practices in embedding SAMF into national climate resilience planning. He emphasised that sustaining meteorological equipment and infrastructure is essential for the Pacific’s resilience.
“Despite challenges such as aging equipment, infrastructure and limited funding, we remain committed to innovative financing and strengthened regional cooperation to ensure reliable meteorological services that safeguard lives and livelihoods in a changing climate,” said Hon. Paea
Globally, the COP30 Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) recognised the vital importance of robust Earth observation and climate data systems. The SBSTA highlighted alarming declines in support for sustained long-term observation networks and growing threats to satellite and in-situ climate monitoring infrastructure worldwide, which are essential for effective climate action and early warning systems.
Meteorological services in the Pacific face challenges including fragmented funding, short equipment lifecycles, costly maintenance, and limited asset replacement planning. These challenges undermine the effectiveness of early warning systems critical for building national and community resilience to climate variability and change impacts.
SAMF as presented in the Pacific side event offers a pathway to address these regional and national challenges. By integrating lifecycle asset management with financing instruments like green bonds, concessional loans, blended finance, and public-private partnerships.
SAMF seeks to ensure meteorological equipment and infrastructure remain operational, reliable, and resilient over the long term.
Other key figures at the event included Dr Albert Fischer, Director of the World Meteorological Organization, Integrated Global Observing System Division, and Ms Saliha Dobardzic, Senior Climate Change Specialist at the Adaptation Fund.
According to Dr Albert Fischer the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) further complements this approach by providing long-term, predictable support for strengthening foundational weather and climate observations. Through grants, technical assistance, and partnerships with implementing agencies like WMO, UNDP, and UNEP, SOFF helps countries, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries(LDCs) to close critical observational gaps and sustain the operation and maintenance of Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) stations. Together, SOFF and SAMF provide mutually reinforcing pathways to improve data quality, enhance forecasting capabilities, and build climate-resilient meteorological systems across the Pacific.”
The event enhanced visibility for SAMF as an innovative climate finance approach and a strengthened call for collaboration among Pacific nations, development partners, and the global climate community to mobilise sustainable resources for meteorological services that underpin early warnings and disaster preparedness.
The Weather Ready Pacific Programme at SPREP encourages all climate stakeholders to prioritise sustainable financing solutions to safeguard critical climate equipment and infrastructure, ensuring the Pacific region remains resilient in the face of accelerating climate change.
For further information, please contact SPREP Climate Science & Information Programme, Mr. Salesa Nihmei at [email protected]