The South-South experience for the Pacific
(UNDP) For the past ten months, four Pacific Islanders have been in Barbados participating in a climate observers’ training programme certified by the World Meteorological Organization. Described as not just a training institution but a leading research institution, studying at the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) has been a great experience for the participants.
As they each embarked on a personal journey to learn more about climatology, agro-meteorology, operational radar, instrumental maintenance and repair, and aeronautical meteorology from their Caribbean counterparts, Konny Nato (Papua New Guinea), Wilson Saega (Solomon Islands), Williams Bae Worworkon (Vanuatu) and Vaaua Wilson (Samoa) also had the opportunity to share their experiences as part of a two-month work attachment in a Caribbean Meteorological Office.
“With regards to our secondments, we were attached to different sections within the CIMH that carries more or less the same responsibilities as what we do in our home country,” said Mr Worworkon, the principle training and human resources officer of the Vanuatu Meteorological Office. “We were also expected to put into practice some of the things we learnt during the training as well as being mentored and coached by our lecturers.”
“This training/attachment with CIMH is taking me closer to establishing a training programme for the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards departments,” he added.
During the two-month attachment, Mr Worworkon was assigned to Entry level Meteorological Technicians training section. Mr Nato (PNG Weather Services) and Mr Saega (Solomon Islands Senior Meteorological Observer) were assigned to the Climate Section which included data analysis and drought monitoring. They were also assigned to the Instrument Section which included training on Automatic Weather stations, while Mr Vaaua (Scientific Officer, Weather Operations Services in Samoa) was attached to the Barbados Meteorological Services.
Other skills attained during the exchange include the skills to maintain, repair and calibrate relevant meteorological instruments, inspect and set-up weather observation sites, assist with field experiments, prepare summaries and reports of analyzed data among other skills.
The training exchange was supported through the “South-South Cooperation between Pacific and Caribbean SIDS on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management” project which encourages the exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices between the Small Islands Developing States in the Pacific and the Caribbean, in order to find suitable solutions and replicate best practices for addressing the various threats posed by climate change and disasters.
The training also corresponds to South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme’s (SPREP) mandate to strengthen meteorology services across the Pacific, as training for climate observers has been identified as one area requiring support in many island countries. SPREP coordinated with national meteorology offices in the Pacific to select the candidates for this course. The trainees selected will be expected to be able to conduct both national and regional trainings in the Pacific on their return.
The South-South project is coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Pacific Centre, with extensive support from the regional UNDP Caribbean Risk Management Initiative (CRMI). Partners in the Caribbean include Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), INSMET (National Cuban Meteorological Institute), CARICOM Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and University of the West Indies (UWI). Key partners from the Pacific region include SPREP, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and University of the South Pacific (USP). National agencies in both regions also play an important role.
The South-South project is supported by the UNDP’s Special Unit for South-South Cooperation and by the UNDP-Japan Partnership Fund.
As they each embarked on a personal journey to learn more about climatology, agro-meteorology, operational radar, instrumental maintenance and repair, and aeronautical meteorology from their Caribbean counterparts, Konny Nato (Papua New Guinea), Wilson Saega (Solomon Islands), Williams Bae Worworkon (Vanuatu) and Vaaua Wilson (Samoa) also had the opportunity to share their experiences as part of a two-month work attachment in a Caribbean Meteorological Office.
“With regards to our secondments, we were attached to different sections within the CIMH that carries more or less the same responsibilities as what we do in our home country,” said Mr Worworkon, the principle training and human resources officer of the Vanuatu Meteorological Office. “We were also expected to put into practice some of the things we learnt during the training as well as being mentored and coached by our lecturers.”
“This training/attachment with CIMH is taking me closer to establishing a training programme for the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards departments,” he added.
During the two-month attachment, Mr Worworkon was assigned to Entry level Meteorological Technicians training section. Mr Nato (PNG Weather Services) and Mr Saega (Solomon Islands Senior Meteorological Observer) were assigned to the Climate Section which included data analysis and drought monitoring. They were also assigned to the Instrument Section which included training on Automatic Weather stations, while Mr Vaaua (Scientific Officer, Weather Operations Services in Samoa) was attached to the Barbados Meteorological Services.
Other skills attained during the exchange include the skills to maintain, repair and calibrate relevant meteorological instruments, inspect and set-up weather observation sites, assist with field experiments, prepare summaries and reports of analyzed data among other skills.
The training exchange was supported through the “South-South Cooperation between Pacific and Caribbean SIDS on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management” project which encourages the exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices between the Small Islands Developing States in the Pacific and the Caribbean, in order to find suitable solutions and replicate best practices for addressing the various threats posed by climate change and disasters.
The training also corresponds to South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme’s (SPREP) mandate to strengthen meteorology services across the Pacific, as training for climate observers has been identified as one area requiring support in many island countries. SPREP coordinated with national meteorology offices in the Pacific to select the candidates for this course. The trainees selected will be expected to be able to conduct both national and regional trainings in the Pacific on their return.
The South-South project is coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Pacific Centre, with extensive support from the regional UNDP Caribbean Risk Management Initiative (CRMI). Partners in the Caribbean include Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), INSMET (National Cuban Meteorological Institute), CARICOM Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and University of the West Indies (UWI). Key partners from the Pacific region include SPREP, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and University of the South Pacific (USP). National agencies in both regions also play an important role.
The South-South project is supported by the UNDP’s Special Unit for South-South Cooperation and by the UNDP-Japan Partnership Fund.
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