20 September 2024, Port Vila, Vanuatu – Pacific island countries are vulnerable to a wide range of weather, climate and ocean extreme events. They have devastating impacts on Pacific communities through loss of life, damage to infrastructure, homes, agricultural lands, livelihoods, industries and economies.
Strengthening Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to deliver forecasts and warnings of these events to ensure the wellbeing of Pacific people is the key function of the Weather Ready Pacific Decadal Program (WRP).
Designed ‘by the Pacific for the Pacific’, the groundbreaking WRP initiative convened its inaugural steering committee meeting on 20 September 2024 in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
The steering committee meeting brought together members of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC), as well as development partners and stakeholders, to outline objectives, share insights, and establish collaborative strategies for effective implementation.
Vanuatu Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy, and Disaster Management, Honourable John Salong offered welcoming remarks to as the host country of the inaugural meeting.
“Climate change is increasing our vulnerability to severe weather events as they become more intense and frequent. The commitment to inclusive and innovative approaches and solutions to enhance resilience as reaffirmed by our leaders at the recent Pacific Islands Forum is critical.”
“Vanuatu is pleased to support the Weather Ready Pacific Program as the key vehicle for the delivery of Early Warning for All in the Pacific. This programme will ensure we all participate and benefit from advances in forecast and warning systems, for weather, hydrological and oceanic events enabling increased accuracy, geographic specificity and lead time of forecast for the benefit of our Pacific communities.”
As the Secretariat for the PMC, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Director General Mr Sefanaia Nawadra highlighted the importance of the WRP initiative.
“The WRP is not just about responding to disasters; it’s about building a programme that empowers our communities and strengthens our economies. By working together, we can create a resilient Pacific that thrives in the face of our contextual challenges.”
He also emphasised the importance of fostering partnerships and engaging with local communities to develop solutions that meet the unique needs of Pacific communities.
The Weather Ready Pacific Program was developed as a result of a call by the PMC. With the support of the SPREP, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and the Government of Australia through the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) the Weather Ready Pacific Decadal Programme was officially endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in 2021.
Chair for the inaugural Steering Committee Meeting, Director of the Fiji Meteorological Services, Mr Misaeli Funaki put into perspective the work of the committee. “The first committee meeting is important because it maps out the work plan for the inception phase of the WRP initiative. It also serves as an important platform for countries to bring forth their priorities and needs that can be addressed through the WRP.”
“Our Pacific needs are often cross-cutting, through this meeting we can synergise our approaches, build upon this, and take back to our respective governments. Highlighting how we can efficiently strengthen our Met services to better serve our Pacific communities, at the end of the day it about the livelihood of our people”, Mr Funaki said.
The WRP has a goal of USD 191million for ten years to implement the work, with the Governments of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom already committing funding support for the programme.
The WRP Steering Committee comprises Meteorological Directors from SPREP Member Countries in the Pacific, the Chair and 1 representative from Regional Disaster Managers Meeting, the donors of WRP, the Manager of the WRP Program. A new addition from the first WRP Steering Committee is the inclusion of the Chair or Vice Chair of the Hydrology Panel.
For more information, contact Weather Ready Pacific Program, Mr ‘Ofa Fa’anunu, at [email protected]