ReliefWeb 9th May 2018
Tonga benefits from Climate and Ocean Support Program in the Pacific Nuku’alofa, Tonga- The Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac) officially opened its eleventh steering committee meeting and final planning meeting for phase 1 this morning. The week-long meeting will include consultation on the work plan for COSPPac Phase 2, the planned four-year continuation of Australian assistance to Pacific Island Countries.
“Given the vulnerability of Pacific nations to long-onset changes in rainfall distribution, ocean warming, sea level rise, and El Niño events– it is clear just how important the work of COSPPac is,” said the Honourable Poasi Tei, Minister for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) at the opening of the meeting.
“Tonga has benefitted from many COSPPac activities over the last 6 years,” the Honourable Minister added. “In particular, we have benefitted from the infrastructural investments and capacity building opportunities that have been made available to Tonga Met Service and Tonga Lands and Survey Staff through this project.”
Through COSPPac, Tonga Meteorological Service has been included in the Traditional Knowledge project, which provides training and support of staff to collect and log traditional This meeting attended by Pacific National Meteorological Services Directors and Lands and Survey representatives, as well as representatives from the Australian Government, Bureau of Meteorology Australia (BoM), Geoscience Australia (GA), the Pacific Community (SPC), and knowledge indicators for climate and weather. Last November, Tonga benefitted from staff training and a national stakeholder engagement on Ocean Services, wave modelling, and marine forecasting.