Weather Ready Pacific strengthens ICT capacity at Solomon Islands Met Service

1 September 2026, Honiara - The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) has strengthened its Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) with the recruitment of a dedicated ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Officer.

Funded through the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Mr Edward Paohawe’s appointment adds to the number of Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) building in-house ICT capability under WRP support, with Tonga Meteorological Services being the first to recruit an ICT Officer earlier this year, and other Pacific Islands Countries to follow.

Mr Paohawe joined SIMS as ICT Project Officer on 1 August, 2026. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Technology, Lae, Papua New Guinea, and a Diploma in Project Management from the University of the South Pacific. He brings extensive ICT experience from roles with the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund and Bemobile (SI) Limited.

"I am very pleased to take up this role with the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service under the Weather Ready Pacific Programme,” he said “It brings together my background in ICT operations and project management with work that matters for our communities - making sure the systems behind our forecasts and warnings are reliable when people need them most. I look forward to applying my experience to support the Service's work and the broader goals of the Weather Ready Pacific Programme.

His role will focus on maintaining and strengthening the ICT systems that underpin forecasting, data management and warning dissemination. 

For Solomon Islands, and many Pacific islands facing rising risks from tropical cyclones, flooding and other hazards, reliable ICT infrastructure is essential to getting accurate, timely warnings to communities. By building this expertise in-house, SIMS will improve system reliability and reduce downtime during severe weather events.

"The recruitment of a dedicated ICT Project Officer through the Weather Ready Pacific Programme comes at an important time for our operations as we are upgrading our ICT system to meet current and future computing needs," said the Director of SIMS, Mr Alick Haruhiru. 

"Reliable ICT systems are the backbone of everything we do: from generating forecasts to getting timely warnings out to our communities. Having this expertise in-house strengthens our ability to keep those systems running when they matter most, and we are grateful to the WRP Programme and SPREP for their continued support."

WRP Programme Manager, Mr 'Ofa Fa'anunu, congratulated SIMS and Mr Paohawe on the new appointment.

“Building ICT expertise in-country is central to what the Weather Ready Pacific Programme is about, ensuring our Pacific meteorological services have both the systems and the skilled people they need to deliver reliable early warnings,” said Mr Fa’anunu “Edward’s experience will strengthen SIMS' operations and support the region's shared goal of protecting lives and building climate resilience. We wish him every success in his new role."

The WRP Programme was developed by Pacific nations for their own needs and received significant backing during the 51st Forum Leaders Meeting held virtually in 2021. It focuses on strengthening Pacific NMHSs by improving early warning systems, and ensuring that critical weather, climate, and emergency information is disseminated effectively to communities during crucial times.

The Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme is a regional initiative supporting Pacific island communities. Financial support for the programme is provided by the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. Implemented by SPREP, the programme works closely with Pacific National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, regional organisations and technical partners to strengthen Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and improve the delivery of weather and climate services across the Pacific.

For more information about the WRP Programme, or SIMS’ ICT development capabilities, please visit the SPREP website or contact WRP Programme Manager Mr ‘Ofa Fa’anunu, [email protected] , or WRP Programme Communications & Knowledge Management Officer Ms Angelica Salele-Sefo, [email protected]