Joint Regional Training Workshop for the Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Services (ROK PI CliPS) Project -2 and GCF-UNEP FP147 Project
28 February - 2 March 2023
Novotel Hotel, Nadi
Address by Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
Dr Filimon Manoni
• H.E. Mr Young-kyu Park, Ambassador for Republic of Korea in Fiji,
• Representatives of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services,
• the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP),
• Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH),
• Excellencies and Officials,
1. Bula Vinaka and Warm Pacific Greetings.
2. This Joint Regional Training Workshop and the launching of the Consensus Climate Outlook tool – or CoCo for short.
3. For our Blue Pacific region, climate change is a matter of survival and every day of inaction brings us one step closer to a perilous future.
4. Leaders have declared that the Pacific is facing a Climate Emergency that threatens the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of its people and ecosystems. This is backed by the latest science and daily lived realities in Pacific communities.
5. Over the years there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones and other extreme weather events that have the potential to cause widespread destruction throughout the Pacific region.
6. These factors make it essential for the Blue Pacific to adapt and to prepare for the challenges posed by climate change.
7. Therefore, tools such as the Climate Information toolkit for the Pacific (CLIKP), Pacific Island Countries Advanced Seasonal Outlook (PICASO) and now Consensus Climate Outlook (CoCO) tool are important as these help improve the role and capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to provide climate information services to support decision making in all levels of society.
8. The WMO State of the Global Climate report 2021 showed how extreme weather events like floods, drought and cyclones caused billions of dollars in economic losses and wreaked havoc on human lives and livelihoods.
9. The IPCC sixth report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability also highlighted the benefits and important role early warning systems and disaster risk management systems have in enhancing adaptation efforts in getting communities and countries prepared ahead of impending disasters.
10. The regional Framework on Resilience Development in the Pacific (FRDP), has as one of its Goals to “Strengthen Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery”.
11. And the strategic object for this goal is to improve the capacity of Pacific Island Countries to prepare for emergencies and disaster thereby ensuring timely and effective response and recovery, thus reduce future risk.
12. Underlying this goal and its strategic objective is a clear need to invest in early warning systems capacities at the regional, national, provincial, local and community levels.
13. At the inaugural Pacific Ministers meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Risk Management, held in Nadi in September 2022, Ministers committed to:
“Supporting the wide implementation of people-centered and end-to-end multi-hazard early warning systems for all Pacific island countries and territories.
14. In the domain of Climate and Disaster Risk Financing, there is an increasing trend to invest in Anticipatory Action and Anticipatory Financing. The underlying concept is to act before it happens, but key to knowing when to act and where to focus action and preparatory interventions, is getting the right information.
15. In the words of Petra Nemcova, a US celebrity and philanthropist, “We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness enabled through early warning systems”.
16. In closing, I wish to acknowledge and thank the generous support provided by the Republic of Korea for the ongoing regional development assistance through the Republic of Korea – Pacific Islands Forum Cooperation Fund. This support provides vital support in these important areas of work.
17. With that said, I thank you and wish you the best in your deliberations during this workshop
18. Vinaka.--ENDS
(Delivered via recorded message-Check against delivery)
