Asia Regional Resilience to a Changing Climate (ARRCC) Met Office Partnership Programme
The Asia Regional Resilience to a Changing Climate (ARRCC) Met Office Partnership Programme, conducted from 2018 to August 2022, emerged as a collaborative effort between the Met Office, the World Bank, and the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). This UK aid-funded initiative addressed the vulnerability of South Asia to extreme climate events impacting over half of the region's population annually.
Key highlights applying the WMO Capacity Development Framework:
Principle 1: Holistic Approach - ARRCC embraced a holistic approach, spanning weather, climate, hydrological, and related environmental knowledge and services along the entire value chain. This included impact-based forecasting, strengthening climate information partnerships, climate analysis, and valuing socio-economic benefits.
Principle 2: Sustainability - The program emphasized sustainability by evaluating the socio-economic benefits of services developed. Case studies, like the one in partnership with the University of Leeds and ICIMOD, assessed the impact of weather and climate information services on agricultural productivity in Pakistan.
Principle 3: Prioritization - ARRCC prioritized engagement across the weather and climate information services value chain. Stakeholder involvement was aligned with priorities identified through initial consultations, focusing on regional coordination, institutional strengthening, and user-led innovation.
Principle 4: Efficiency and Innovation - The program implemented 13 new climate services systems and tools, including innovative early warning systems in Nepal and Bangladesh. These systems combined weather information with mobile phone data and disease spread modeling, enhancing the efficiency and innovation of weather-related services.
Principle 5: Cooperation and Inclusion - Collaboration was central to co-producing knowledge products, emphasizing open and trusting relationships. Close collaboration ensured that knowledge products were fit for purpose, had clear objectives, and reached the intended audience, reducing the risk of inefficient use of time and funds.
Lessons Learned and Recommendations:
ARRCC's experience highlighted the significance of remote and blended delivery, stakeholder engagement across the value chain, time and resourcing commitment, and collaboration. The program recommended adaptive planning, integrating Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) considerations, and identifying clear use cases for knowledge products.
For a detailed exploration of ARRCC's impactful journey, including lessons learned and recommendations for wider application, access the full case study and presentation slides. Learn about the program's holistic approach, sustainable practices, and the transformative power of collaboration in building resilience to a changing climate in South Asia.