FoUrth MEETING OF THE PACIFIC METEOROLOGICAL COUNCIL

Hosted by the Government of Solomon Islands

 

14-17 August 2017

FFA Conference Centre, Honiara, Solomon Islands

 

Theme: "Sustainable Weather, Climate, Ocean and Hydrology Services for a Resilient Pacific"

 

 

 

Draft EPLANATORY NOTE FOR THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA

 

 

 

REGISTRATION

The registration of participants will be held between 7:30AM to 8:45AM at the front Foyer of the conference facility

 

1.0 OPENING CEREMONY

The 4^th Meeting of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-4) will open at 09:00 AM at the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Conference Facility on Monday, 14^th August 2017.

 

The Government Solomon Islands will conduct the opening ceremony, starting by inviting the designated person or a member of the Pacific Meteorological Council to do the opening prayer, then to be followed by a welcome address followed by an address by the current Chair of PMC, a keynote statement by the Director-General of Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), a keynote address by the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The opening address for the meeting will be delivered by the Government of Solomon Islands.

 

2.0 ORGANISATION OF THE FOURTH MEETING OF THE PACIFIC METEOROLOGICAL COUNCIL (PMC-4)

 

2.1 Election of Chair and Vice Chair for PMC-4

Under this agenda item, the Council will be invited to nominate and elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for PMC-4.

 

According to Section 6.2 of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) Terms of Reference (TOR), at the commencement of each meeting of the Council, a Chair and Vice‐Chair shall be appointed.

 

According to Section 8.2 of the PMC Rules of Procedures, where a meeting is not hosted by the Secretariat, the Chair shall be a representative from the host country. Section 8.3 clearly states that “the role of the Vice-Chair shall rotate alphabetically whether or not the meeting is hosted by the Secretariat”. 

 

2.2 Adoption of Agenda and Work Programme

Under this agenda item, the Council will be invited to consider and adopt the provisional agenda for PMC-4. The agenda may be amended at any time during the course of the meeting.

 

With regard to working arrangements, the Council will be invited to discuss and approve the working hours for PMC-4.

 

2.3 Establishment of a Drafting Committee

Under this agenda item, the Council will be invited to establish a drafting committee to assist the Secretariat to prepare the report of the PMC-4.

 

The Vice-Chair of PMC-4 will be expected to lead the Committee.

 

3.0 SETTING THE SCENE FOR PMC-4: OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Under this agenda item the Secretariat will present the objectives and expected outcomes of the PMC-4 to set the scene for the meeting.

 

4.0 REPORT ON ACTIONS TAKEN ON MATTERS ARISING FROM THE 3^RD MEETING OF THE PACIFIC METEOROLOGICAL COUNCIL (PMC-3) AND THE NUKU’ALOFA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION

Under this agenda item, the Secretariat will present a progress report on actions taken on matters arising from PMC-3 and the Nuku’alofa Ministerial Declaration. The Council will be invited to discuss and make decisions on the report.

 

5.0 WMO STRATEGIC PLAN

Under this agenda, WMO will present their Strategic Plan making linkages to key areas relevant for the Pacific region.

 

6.0 SPREP STRATEGIC PLAN

SPREP will present their Strategic Plan 2017-2026 and the linkages to the National Meteorological Services. Information will be provide on the linkages Strategic Plan and SPREP’s support to the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). SPREP will also provide some history on their support to NMHSs.

 

7.0 CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG’s)

Under this agenda, UNESCAP will be provided to the Council a brief on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the indicators of the SDGs developed for the Pacific Region and the potential contribution of the NMHSs to achieving these Goals at the national level.

 

8.0 FRAMEWORK FOR RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE PACIFIC (FRDP)

Under this Agenda, the Secretariat will provide information on the status of the FRDP in the region, a brief on goals of the FRDP with linkages to the contributions of NMHSs. The presentation will also cover linkages to the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 and the UNFCCC process

 

9.0 OUTCOME OF THE UNITED NATION OCEANS CONFERENCE

Under this Agenda, the Secretariat will provide information on the United Nation Oceans Conference held in New York from 5-7 June 2017. The presentation will also cover the outcomes of the Conference related to the NNMHSs

 

10.0 OUTCOMES OF THE MULTI-HAZARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION GLOBAL PLATFORM MEETINGS IN CANCUN, MEXICO

The meeting will be informed of the outcomes of the MHEWS and DRR Global Platform meetings in Cancun, Mexico. This presentation will be provided by directors of NMHSs with SPREP and WMO who attended the meeting.

 

 

 

 

11.0 COUNTRIES’ REPORTS FROM NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES AND HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES

 

Under this agenda item, the Council will be invited to discuss the information verbally presented by each of 26 member countries and territories of SPREP. The Council will also be invited to discuss and make decision on issues and recommendations arising from these presentations.

 

Each of the 26 member countries and territories of SPREP (American Samoa, Australia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, USA, UK, Vanuatu and Wallis & Futuna), will prepare progress report on the current status and development of their NMSs, the implementation of the Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy (PIMS) 2012-2021 Pacific Key Outcomes (KPOs) and, future plans. The reports are expected to be received by the Secretariat prior to the commencement of PMC-4. 

 

Each member countries and territories of SPREP that are attending the meeting will present a summary of the national reports verbally to the Council.  Five minutes are allocated for each member country and territory presentation and related discussion.

           

The Secretariat will prepare and provide the formats and guidelines for the reports. These reports will be submitted to SPREP before the meeting.

 

12.0 AVIATION WEATHER SERVICES

Agenda Item 12 will provide information on progress of works being carried out by the Pacific Island Aviation Weather Services (PIAWS) Panel, Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and development partners helping the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) address and meet mandatory requirements for provision of weather services to the civil aviation industry. It also provides further clarification and highlight changes to these requirements such as Annex 3 to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Convention, quality management system (QMS) and capacity development of NMHSs personnel providing weather services to the civil aviation industry. It will seek guidance from the PMC on further progressing works to assist NMHSs meeting requirements for provision of weather services for civil aviation industry.

 

12.1: Progress on PIAWS Panel including outcomes of related regional and international meetings and surveys.

Agenda Item 12.1 provides information on progress works carried out by the Panel, NMHSs and development partners to help NMHSs address and meet mandatory requirements for provision of weather services to the aviation industry during the past 2 years since PMC-3 (July 2015). It also highlights outcomes of regional and international forums which could have significant impacts on NMHSs as providers of weather services to the civil aviation industry. 

 

12.2: Compliance with ICAO requirements including Annex 3, QMS (ISO 9001-2015) Document/ Part 174 and competency assessment and capacity development of AMOs and AMFs.

Agenda Item 12.2 will bring to the attention of the PMC Annex 3 of ICAO Convention and its latest amendment, and mandatory requirements for NMHSs’ compliance to the provisions of Annex 3. It will also discuss QMS, providing clarification between International Organization of Standards (ISO) 9001:2015, Document/Part 174, agreements between PICTs, etc; with respect to NMHSs providing weather services to the civil aviation industry.

 

12.3: Cost recovery for aviation weather services.

Agenda item 12.3 will discuss provisions and guidance to address cost recovery for weather services in ICAO, WMO and other organizations documents. It will also bring these to the context of PICTs’ NMHSs and seek guidance from the PMC on the subject.   

 

12.4: Future Work of the PIAWS Panel including Terms of Reference.

Agenda item 12.4 will focus the future works on the PIAWS Panel, in particular seeking the PMC to review the Panel’s draft Terms of Reference and endorse it.

 

13.0 CLIMATE SERVICES

 

13.1 Progress of the Pacific Island Climate Services (PICS) Panel

Under this agenda, the PICS Panel will discuss about their progress after the PMC-3, how they have worked to implement some of their main activities and recommendation from PMC-3 and the Nuku’alofa Declaration. The terms of reference of the PICS Panel will also be presented under this agenda for the council to make comments and elect or endorse new members to serve in the Panel.

 

13.2 Progress on the establishment of the WMO RA-V Pacific Islands Regional Climate Centre (PI-RCC)

The WMO RA-V PI-RCC was one of the key focus of the PICS Panel. The Council will be informed of the progress RCC to date and also make recommendation or endorsements of progress and give direction on the next steps.

 

13.3 A review of 2^nd Pacific Island Climate Outlook Forum (PICOF-2) and Plans for PICOF-3

The council will be informed of the review of the PICOF meetings held so far as well as the plans for the upcoming PICOF-3 to be held in Apia, Samoa in September 2017.

 

14.0 MULTI-HAZARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (MHEWS)

 

14.1 Outcomes of the Twenty-seventh Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS-XXVII)

Under this agenda, the Council will be informed of the outcomes of the ICG/PTWS-XXVII held in French Polynesia and in particular the linkages to the role of NMHSs in the region.

 

 

14.2 Oceania Regional Seismic Network (ORSNET)

The Oceania Regional Seismic Network (ORSNET) is a regional initiative that demonstrates good governance on disaster risk management in the South West Pacific region. The network is a regional collaboration against natural hazards threat, in term of mitigation of earthquake and tsunami Hazards. The Oceania seismic regional network was established to better and more quickly manage Tsunami Alerts for local and regional countries. Under this agenda, the Council will be invited to make recommendations on the ORSNET.

 

14.3 Pacific Resilience Program (PREP) in Samoa and Tonga

The Pacific Resilience Program (PREP) in Samoa and Tonga has begun work on improved disaster early warning systems; preparing tools to help the 2 countries’ economies become more financially resilient; and has rolled the PCRAFI disaster risk insurance initiative for the Pacific under its umbrella in order to deliver quick injections of cash to governments immediately after eligible disasters.

Studies across Tonga and Samoa were contacted to identify how best to prioritize the retro-fitting of schools, making them more climate and disaster resilient and using them as evacuation centers to protect lives during emergencies.

The Council will be informed of the different programs and initiatives under the PREP in Samoa and Tonga.

15.0 HYDROLOGY AND FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

15.1 Hydrology

Under this agenda, information will be provided on the progress in strengthening the hydrological monitoring and services in the region as well as the support for flood early warning system. The Council will be invited to make recommendations and provide guidance on the support required for hydrological services.

 

15.2 Flood Early Warning System

Under this agenda, the Council will be provided examples of how hydrology was integrated at the national level to the NMHSs. The presentation will outline the legal frameworks, infrastructure and human resources invested to bring the hydrological services program running.

 

15.3 Opportunities for establishing UNESCO International Hydrology Programme in the Pacific region

The Council will be provided information on the opportunities to establish the UNESCO International Hydrology Programme under this agenda. The Council will be invited to provide comments on the

 

 

 

16.0 MARINE WEATHER SERVICES AND OCEAN ISSUES

 

16.1 Progress on the Pacific Island Marine and Oceans Services (PIMOS) Panel

Under this agenda, the PIMOS Panel will discuss about their progress after the PMC-3, how they have worked to implement some of their main activities and recommendation from PMC-3 and the Nuku’alofa Declaration. The terms of reference of the PIMOS Panel will also be presented under this agenda for the council to make comments and elect or endorse members to serve in the Panel.

 

16.2 Methodologies to evaluate climate change impacts on storm surge/storm wave hazards in SIDS

Under this agenda, the Council will be provided information on the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ) Project to develop the cost-effective methodology to assess the impact of natural hazards (Storm Surge and Storm Wave) considering the climate change scenarios for Small Island Developing States, with applying the satellite-based remote sensing technology.

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16.3 Coastal Inundation Forecasting in Fiji and Tuvalu

The Council will be provided information on the progress of the Coastal Inundation Forecasting Project in Fiji and Tuvalu. The presentation will show some of the results of the project as well as outline challenges and opportunities for coastal inundation forecasting.

 

 

17.0 COMMUNICATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

 

17.1 Progress on the Pacific Island Communication and Infrastructure (PICI) Panel

The PICI Panel was established in August 2016, out of session to address communications and infrastructure in the region. Under this agenda, the PICI Panel will discuss about their progress, how they have worked to implement some of their main activities of the PIMS and PMC-3. The terms of reference of the PICI Panel will also be presented under this agenda for the council to make comments and elect or endorse members to serve in the Panel.

 

17.2 National Emergency Telecommunication Plans (NETP) and opportunity for NMHSs to link with the Telecommunications Community

Under this agenda, the Council will be informed of the National Emergency Telecommunications Plans being developed at the national level to facilitate the exchange of information during emergencies.

 

Opportunities for linkages with the Telecom regulators and the processes to engage in the NETP in the region will also be discussed. The Council will be able to consider the presentation and make recommendations on ways forward.

 

17.3 RANET

Under this agenda item, the Council will be invited to discuss and make decision on RANET communications systems relevant for the Pacific Islands region.

 

18.0 TRAINING, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

 

18.1 Progress on the Pacific Island Education, Training and Research (PIETR) Panel

Under this agenda, the PIETR Panel will discuss about their progress after the PMC-3, how they have worked to implement some of their main activities and recommendation from PMC-3 and the Nuku’alofa Declaration. The terms of reference of the PIETR Panel will also be presented under this agenda for the council to make comments and elect or endorse members to serve in the Panel.

 

18.2 The Pacific Regional Meteorological Training Centre

Under this agenda, the Council will be informed of the progress of the Pacific RMTC establishment and provide guidance on the next step forward.

 

18.3 Impacts of climate change for the Pacific according to the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The IPCC is currently in its Sixth Assessment Cycle, during which it will produce three Special Reports, a Methodology Report and the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). The presentation would not only focus on the latest findings of the IPCC relevant to the region but also on the opportunities for the Pacific science and policy communities to be involved in the activities of the IPCC and utilize efficiently its work in the future.

 

 

19.0 REPUBLIC OF KOREA-PACIFIC ISLANDS CLIMATE PREDICTION SSERVICES PROJECT UPDATE

Under this agenda, the Council will be provided with information related to the Korea-Pacific Islands Climate Prediction Services (ROK-PI CLIPS) Project, activities carried out by this project in the past and in the future.

 

The (ROK-PI CliPS) is a project that provides nationally-tailored seasonal climate prediction information and builds the prediction capacity of Pacific Islands. It is funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and implemented by the APEC Climate Center (APCC) and SPREP.

 

20.0 FINPAC PROJECT

Under this agenda, the Council will be provided with the outcomes of the FINPAC project implemented from 2013-2017. The Finnish-Pacific Project (FINPAC) is a four-year regional project funded by the Government of Finland and coordinated through the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) with a range of partners. FINPAC aims to improve livelihoods of Pacific island communities by delivering effective weather, climate and early warning services.

The overall long term objective the FINPAC project contributes to is Reduced Vulnerability of Pacific Island Villagers' Livelihoods to the Effects of Climate Change. It will contribute strongly to poverty reduction through greater food and water security, improvements in weather and climate services and early warnings to the most vulnerable groups in the Pacific region.

 

The presentation will be provided by SPREP and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) on the component 1 and component 2 of the project.

 

21.0 FORUM FISHERIES AGENCIES (FFA) OBSERVER PROGRAM

Under this Agenda, the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) will provide information on their observer program with the different fishing vessels in our region. Information will be provided on opportunities for weather observations and reporting to be collected and disseminated. The Council will be able to discuss and provide recommendations on collaboration with FFA.

 

 

22.0 COSPPAC PROJECT

Under this agenda, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology will provide information on the COSPPac project. This programme is funded by the Government of Australian and implemented by BoM and other partners such as SPREP and SPC. The project aims to enhance the capacity of Pacific Islands to manage and mitigate the impacts of climate variability and tidal events. We work with stakeholders in the Islands to build tools that can forecast and report on climate, tides and the ocean.

 

23.0 PACIFIC ISLAND METEOROLOGICAL STRATEGY (PIMS)

 

23.1 Presentation of the Final Draft of the Reviewed Pacific Island Meteorological Strategy (PIMS) 2017-2026 for Endorsement

The PMC has primary responsibility for monitoring progress towards the outcomes set out in Pacific Island Meteorological Strategy. Under Section 9 of the PIMS, the Council was directed a mid-term review of the implementation of this Strategy no later than 1 July 2017 to ensure that it remains current and focused on the appropriate priority areas.

 

During PMC-3, the Council endorsed a terms of reference (ToR) to allow for the review to be undertaken. With Financial support provided by the COSPPac project, the secretariat with the guidance of the selected committee of the PMC finalized and hired the Pacific Science Solution (PSS) to carry out the review. Two workshops were organized as well as draft copies of the reviewed drafts were circulated for comments.

 

Under this agenda, the Council will be presented with the Mid-Term Review and the draft PIMS with very brief detail for discussion.

 

23.2 Discussion and Endorsement

This Agenda Item is provided to allow the Council to discuss the details of the PIMS and give their endorsement.

 

 

24.0 PACIFIC ROADMAP FOR STRENGTHENED CLIMATE SERVICES (PRSCS)

 

24.1 Presentation of the Final draft of the Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services (PRSC) 2017-2026 for Endorsement

During PMC-2 in 2013, the Council requested for the Global Framework on Climate Services (GFCS) to be presented in the region. In March 2014, the meeting organized in Cook Islands brought the NMHSs and key sectors from around the region. Work on the Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services (PRSCS) started during the meeting. In July 2015, the ministers gave special attention to the PRSCS in the Nuku’alofa Declaration calling on the implementation of the roadmap. With the financial support from the Canada Project through WMO and SPREP, a consultant was engaged and through a consultative process, all the NMHSs and sectors were engaged. Two workshops were organized in October 2016 and May 2017 to provide inputs into the PRSCS and the drafts were widely circulated for comments.

 

The final draft of the PRSCS will be presented to the Council under this agenda item for further deliberations and endorsement.

 

24.2 Discussion and Endorsement

This Agenda Item is provided to allow the Council to discuss the details of the PRSCS and give their endorsement.

 

25.0 PACIFIC CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRE AND ROLE IN SUPPORTING METEOROLOGY IN THE PACIFIC

Under this Agenda, the Council will be briefed on the progress of the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) at SPREP and what the center will offer for the NMHSs. Discussion will also include the linkages to the Training node of the Regional Climate Centre (RCC) and the role of SPREP in coordinating the Pacific meteorological services activities.

 

 

26.0 REVIEW OF THE PMC TERMS OF REFERENCE

Under this agenda, the Council will be provided with the Terms of Reference of the PMC as well as the rules of procedures for their review to align with the delivery of the new Pacific Island Meteorological Strategy, the Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services, the Pacific Climate Change Centre and other recent developments

 

 

 

 

27.0 PMC-4 OUTCOMES, DONORS AND PARTNERS ROUNDTABLE AND MINISTERIAL MEETING

 

27.1 Review and Finalize the Second Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology (PMMM-2) Agenda

Under this agenda, the Council will be able to provide their comments on the PMMM-2 Draft tentative agenda. The Council will also be able to provide their guidance to the pre-drafted outcome of the PMMM-2.

 

27.2 Briefing for Donors and Partners Roundtable Meeting

The Council will be briefed on the Donor and Partners round table meeting under this agenda. Preparation for that meeting and key areas to raise during the meeting will also be noted under this agenda.

 

 

28.0 DONORS AND PARTNERS ROUNDTABLE

The first Pacific Meteorological Council Donors and Partners Roundtable will focus on support to meteorology in the region and will be held on Thursday, 17 August 2017 from 8:30AM to 3:00PM at the Forum Fishery Agency (FFA) Conference Facility in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

 

The meeting will begin with presentations to set the scene and provide an overview of the important projects underway in the region. These presentations highlight the essential role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to national sustainable development and the key priorities for the region as outlined in the revised Pacific Island Meteorological Strategy (PIMS) 2017-2026 and the Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services 2017-2026. These presentations will be followed by interactive sessions between NMHS and donors and partners.

 

Objective:

Build upon the overall objective of the PMC-4, this session will hope to;

1. Provide an opportunity for NMHS, donors and partners to discuss programs and their support for the continued development of climate resilient of pacific communities.
2. Discuss strategic way forward for sustainable weather, climate, hydrological, and ocean services, in the context of the Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy (PIMS), and the new Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services (PRSCS) and resources mobilization during the PMC and the partner and donor roundtable meeting

 

Outcome:

The session will contribute to the following outcomes of the PMC-4:

1. Awareness of the shared progress and issues addressed since PMC-3 and PMMM-1 and review the NMHS priorities in the region;
2. Strengthened partnership and networking between NMHSs, development partners, CROP organisations, collaborating organisations and institutions;
3. Increased awareness of potential direct access to financial resources accessible to PICTs for development and advancement of weather, climate, hydrological and ocean services; and
4. Increase awareness of the value NMHSs and their importance in sustainable and resilient development.

 

The outcomes and recommendations of the Agenda 27-Donors and Partners Roundtable will be reflected in the overall PMC-4 outcomes which will be presented to the Ministerial meeting on Friday, 18 August 2017.

 

The Roundtable discussions are designed to be very interactive and will involve; presentations, panel and group discussions, speed dating and information sharing through the use of message boards and posters

 

 

 

The discussion under this agenda will conclude just before afternoon tea.

 

 

29.0 VENUE OF THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE PMC-5

Under this agenda, the Council will be invited to discuss and make decision on the dates and venue of the fifth meeting of the Council.

 

30.0 REVIEW AND ADOPT THE REPORT OF PMC-4

Under this agenda item, the Council will be invited to review and adopt the report of PMC-4.

 

31.0 CLOSURE OF PMC-4

Under this agenda, closing remarks will be made the Chair and selected members of PMC to mark the occasion of the PMC-4 closing.

 

PMC-4 is scheduled to close on Thursday afternoon, 13^th August 2017