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Learning Lab strengthens understanding of impact-based forecasting in the Americas and the Caribbean
In November, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Bank, GFDRR and UNDRR, through the CREWS Caribbean project, jointly hosted a “Learning Lab” as part of the Seventh Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Platform, which convened virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, focused on building resilient economies in the wake of increasing human and economic losses due to disasters in the region, with a special focus on the additional challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The Learning Lab, titled “From Early Warning Systems to Impact-based Forecasting: Strengthening people-centred Multi-hazard Early Warning Services in the Caribbean region”, sought to strengthen understanding of Impact-based Forecasting (IBF) services. These services routinely operate to provide actionable information on the potential impact of hazards in a form that the general public, disaster managers, private sector and other stakeholders can understand and use to protect lives, livelihoods, assets and property.
The Lab opened with a short introduction of the CREWS Caribbean project, followed by the concept of and developments in Multi-hazard Impact-Based Forecasting, introduced by Dr David Farrell, Principal of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology. To build a mutual understanding on the depth and breadth of opportunities and challenges in this area, participants created a “living document” of collective intelligence on transitioning to IBF in the Caribbean. The session attracted 72 participants and the results and insights will be used in IBF activities undertaken during the duration of the project.
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The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation also participated in the Platform with their “Swiss Stand”, a separate area with four thematic booths. As part of that, Dr Arlene Laing, Coordinating Director at the Caribbean Meteorological Organization, presented selected highlights from the WMO-led component of the CREWS Caribbean project, with a focus on development of National Strategic Plans, National Frameworks for Weather, Water, Climate Services in eight Caribbean countries and their corresponding action plans, and the development of Meteorological Bills.
The Seventh Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean was hosted by the Government of Jamaica, and co-organized by UNDRR Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
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Climate service stakeholders come together for inaugural ClimSA Programme Forum
Over 400 climate service users and providers from Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), and the European Union (EU) participated in the inaugural ClimSA’21 Forum on 15, 16 and 18 November. The virtual event was co-organized by WMO and the OACPS, and hosted by Kenya, with the theme of “Connecting users and providers of climate services in ACP regions”.
The forum, which will take place on a yearly basis for the duration of the programme, was organized to identify the needs of stakeholders in five priority sectors: agriculture and food security, energy, disaster risk reduction, public health, and water resource management. It enabled stakeholders to share their experiences on the use of climate information, the challenges they continue to face, and their ongoing needs to move towards the sustainable improvement of social and economic conditions in these sensitive sectors, in territories facing climate change.
During the opening ceremony, WMO Director of Services, Maxx Dilley, reminded participants of WMO’s commitment to support all stakeholders, while also urging them to work together to improve climate services. He expressed the urgent need for action as extreme hydrometeorological events, and their impacts are rapidly increasing. More resources are needed to build resilience.
The first day further focused on progress made in the implementation of the programme and laid the scientific background for generating informed decision making on climate services. The second day was dedicated to exchanges between users and providers to identify needs and requirements surrounding climate services. The final day summarized discussions in each region and sector, and resulted in a list of 14 operational recommendations.
Some recommendations include:
- Capacity building in Decision Support Systems (DSS) for sector-specific applications;
- Strengthen end-to-end Early Warning Systems (EWS) including community-based EWS;
- Improvement of the tailoring and dissemination means of climate information at the regional, national and community level;
- Convene a regional stakeholder workshop between climate experts and socioeconomic sectors to define and validate user requirements;
- Encourage Regional Climate Centres to extend their services to all GFCS priority sectors;
- Assist National Hydrological and Meteorological Services (NHMS) with institutional capacity to extend their mandate in all GFCS priority sectors.
The ClimSA Programme is a 6-year, EUR 85 million programme funded by the EU and overseen by the OACPS. The programme was established to support the climate information services value chain for Members of the OACPS, through providing technical and financial assistance, infrastructure, and capacity building to improve and widen access to, and use of climate information.
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Traditional Knowledge Glossary helps Palauans to better understand the weather
Existing community-based early warning system (CB-EWS) activities being implemented in the South-West Pacific region under the WMO-implemented CREWS Pacific SIDS project highlight the importance of including traditional knowledge and responses (TK) into EWS and risk reduction measures. The inclusion of traditional knowledge into EWS remains an important priority throughout the implementation of the CREWS Pacific SIDS project, representing an important step forward in recognizing, recording and embracing local traditions into climate change adaptation and early warning efforts.
A collaboration between WMO, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Palauan Red Cross Society and the Palauan Bureau of Cultural and Historical Preservation (HPO), brought to fruition a Palauan traditional knowledge glossary on weather and climate, which has been made available across the country. The work, entitled ‘Creatures of prophesy and what they foretell’, is the reflection of traditional climate knowledge passed down through generations.
A total of 23 animals found in Palau and their significance to weather and climate are covered in the book. Amongst many of the interesting topics covered, one would learn that the sighting of a firefly (Temaliluich) in a household, for example, may foresee bad weather. The opposite can be expected if a termite (Ngalimesei) is spotted flying, as it represents the transition from bad to good weather. Hawaiian garden spiders (Mangidab) may predict strong damaging winds, and the painted spiny lobster (Cherabrukl), thunderstorms.
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A series of consultations with 16 elders, members of the National Society of Historians and representatives of each of the States constituting the Republic of Palau were held to document this knowledge. The consultations were undertaken over a 20-day period, and later transcribed and formatted into a working document that was reviewed multiple times before being finalized. The end result is a comprehensive guide, available in both Palauan and English, that promotes national heritage and culture for younger generations and the general public. The individuals who participated are considered national treasures for the knowledge and heritage they represent. They were the driving force behind the production of the glossary.
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Vision 2030 and Sustainability Strategy approved for the Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) with global coverage
Flash floods cause more than 5 000 deaths worldwide annually, exceeding any other flood-related event. As the global population increases, especially in urban areas, and societies continue to encroach upon floodplains, the need for flash flood early warning systems has become more paramount. Currently, over 3 billion people in 67 countries have access to early warnings of potential flash flooding, provided by their National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs).
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In November, 140 representatives from 50 countries convened online for an event titled “Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) with Global Coverage — Vision 2030”. The goal was to bring together users of national and regional FFG Systems to highlight achievements and updates made since the last FFGS Global Workshop, held in Turkey in 2019. Users shared best practices on the operationalization of flash flood guidance products and discussed the sustainability of FFGS to ensure long-term operations and service delivery.
Various achievements were presented during the event including:
- The development of the FFGS centralized online training platform, a one-stop-shop for FFGS trainers and trainees to access free distance learning resources, including hands-on materials, case studies, videos and more, to ensure that no one is left behind;
- The FFGS Training Simulator interactive application, used to train operational forecasters in the effective use of necessary data and products to improve flash flood forecasting skills;
- The approved FFGS Sustainability Strategy, a product of joint efforts of FFGS member countries, WMO’s Standing Committee on Hydrological Services
(SC-HYD) and FFGS Partners.
The new Sustainability Strategy sets out a vision and approach for the future development and implementation of FFGS in order to save lives and livelihoods. It was approved by the Extraordinary World Meteorological Congress after receiving endorsement from the Hydrological Assembly.
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The Flash Flood Guidance System with Global Coverage project is a joint initiative of WMO, the US National Weather Service (US NWS)/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the HRC, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and the CREWS Initiative.
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Regional state of climate reports spark global dialogue
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In 2021, for the first time, WMO released a series of region-specific reports to go alongside its global State of the Climate Report, which has been released on an annual basis since 1993. Reports on the State of the Climate in 2020 in Africa (WMO-No. 1275), Asia (WMO‑No. 1273), Latin America and the Caribbean (WMO-No. 1272), and the South-West Pacific (WMO-No. 1276) were published between August and November, during respective high-level launches hosted and attended by WMO and other regional stakeholders.
The multiagency reports are based on a standard methodology for assessing the physical aspects of the climate system. They incorporate input from NMHSs, WMO Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), research institutions, and international and regional organizations.
The reports provide a snapshot of key climate indicators like temperatures, sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification, drought, and extreme weather, and the risks and impacts they have on economies and the environment. They further highlight adaptation measures that should be taken, and provide recommendations, including the need for more financial support to strengthen EWS and operational weather, climate and hydrological services.
Also released was the third edition of the State of Climate Services report (WMO‑No. 1278). The annual report, which surrounds the theme of World Meteorological Day, had a special focus on Water in 2021. It highlighted the need for urgent action to improve cooperative water management, embrace integrated water and climate policies and scale up investment in a precious commodity that underpins all the international goals on sustainable development, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
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