Climate experts in the Pacific meet in Samoa to seek better
weather information
16 AUGUST 2000 APIA (Pacnews) -- Scientists and climate change
experts from around the world have gathered in Samoa to look at
ways of improving international climate observation systems.
The workshop hosted by the South Pacific Regional Environment
Programme (SPREP) is the first attempt at integrating the Global
Climate Observing System (GCOS) internationally, by forging
partnerships at the regional level.
Climate models used to simulate global temperatures over the last
100 years and project future trends depend heavily on the quality
of climate data, a statement released from SPREP’s Apia office
said.
“The workshop plans to identify the needs and deficiencies of the
current monitoring systems on land, sea and air, then to advise
governments as to what the likely priorities and strategies will
be,” the statement said.
Head of SPREP's Environmental Management and Planning Division,
Gerald Miles told the gathering recent studies had shown that
about 70 percent of all natural disasters worldwide are
attributed to weather and climate.
This underlined he said, the need for a clearer understanding and
better quality of information about the origins of particular
climate conditions.
“Understanding how our Pacific climate will change and being able
to predict these changes in advance is essential for the
protection of life and property. This is so crucial as the
Pacific region is critical to the global climate system,” Miles
said.
A series of cyclones, flooding and record droughts had taken
their toll in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the Solomon
Islands recently, causing the loss of dozens of lives and damage
estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
“The prospect of global climate change resulting from increasing
concentrations of greenhouse gases adds another dimension to the
challenges being faced, and with the release of large quantities
of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, provide potential for
climate changes unprecedented in human history,” he said.
“From SPREP’s position, there are hopes that the meeting can come
up with clear guidelines on how the organisation and its partners
can assist in improving monitoring systems he said. … PNS (ENDS)
SOURCE: Pacnews
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