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ESD - South Pacific

Ranging from drinking water shortages in Micronesia, and wildfires in Fiji, to increased cyclone activity in French Polynesia, and changing tuna migration routes in the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, the Pacific Islands lie in the heart of ENSO territory and are directly affected by its associated rainfall and temperature changes. Over the past decade, several Pacific Island countries helped facilitate the oceanographic and atmospheric research which underpins our emerging climate forecasting capability. The Pacific Island region now stands poised to enhance its sustainable economic growth and development activities with the application of climate forecasts generated using that research. 

In 1996, in an effort to better understand climate forecasting and its potential usefulness as a new management and decision-making tool, NOAA was invited to discuss its Pilot Program for the Application of Climate Forecasts and the IRI at the meeting of three key regional organizations--the South Pacific Forum, the South Pacific Commission, and the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Pursuant to these meeting representatives of several regional organizations requested that NOAA's Pilot Program office begin drafting a plan for the implementation of pilot applications activities in the region. This plan will outline roles for the regional organizations, international organizations (UNEP, WMO), key South Pacific countries, and others, both public and private, with an interest in the region. To meet the specific and varying needs of the Pacific Islands region, the applications activities will rely upon a suite of approaches which, in addition to the regional workshop concept mentioned above, may include site visits and training by climate and application experts, participation of experts in existing regional fora of affected sectors, and a the distribution of regional climate forecast information through a bulletin or a regional outlook forum.