ITALY TO ASSIST TOWARDS PACIFIC REGIONAL BULLETIN
PACNEWS AUG 3, 2000
APIA(Pacnews): The Italian ministry of environment has pledged
financial support towards establishing a Regional Climate
Bulletin for the Pacific region.
Sergio Castellari of the National Institute of Geophysics based
in Rome said the Italian environment ministry will be working
closely on the project with the Institute as well as the South
Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in the next
18-months.
Castellari said the Pacific Islands are located in a geographic
area sensitive to extreme adverse shifts in weather patterns
(tropical cyclones, floods and droughts) climate change and
variability largely associated with El Nino and La Nina
phenomena.
"This climate sensitivity affects activities like agriculture,
fishing and tourism etc. on which these countries are solely
dependent on. Hence there is a need to strengthen capacities at
all levels, local in particular in climate observations,
management, analysis and applications."
Castellari said, a SPREP feasibility study on possible activities
to improve the Climate Information and Prediction Services in the
Pacific, concluded that there is an urgent need to establish a
Regional Climate Bulletin to disseminate climate information and
prediction services to all users.
At present only the Pacific ENSO Application Centre (PEAC) in
Honolulu produces a quarterly newsletter covering US affiliated
countries and territories.
Australia and New Zealand produce their own climate bulletins.
The project will see the creation of a monthly Pacific Regional
Climate Bulletin and its hardcopy and web distribution through
the SPREP web page and other links.
A small group of technical operators will be trained to prepare
and distribute the bulletin and education materials will be
produced on features of climate system and on the usage of
weather forecasts and climate predictions.
Castellari said the Climate Bulletin will contain a summary of
the climate of the month and predictions of the next 3-6 months
based on the available predictions in the scientific community.
Castellari presented an outline of the project to delegates
attending the 2nd Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
workshop on Climate Change Negotiations, Management and Strategy
in the Samoan capital of Apia today.
About 100 delegates including those from AOSIS 43 member
countries are attending the workshop which ends tomorrow.
The island of Palau in the Federated States of Micronesia has
welcomed the project saying it will give better predictions
because the bulletin will be released on a monthly basis.
The delegate from Saint Lucia in the Caribbean also commended the
project but said the island state felt left out because it will
only cover the Pacific region.
Castellari pointed out the possibility of extending training in
Climatology to AOSIS countries in the Caribbean, Mediterranean,
Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
He said they will be working closely with national meteorological
services, regional organisations and the World Meteorological
Organisation.(Ends)
SOURCE: Pacnews
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