Weather Ready Pacific strengthens Early Warning systems to safeguard Pacific communities

The Pacific’s ability to protect lives, livelihoods, and economies from increasingly frequent and severe weather hazards has taken another important step forward through the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme. The programme is the brainchild of the Pacific Meteorological Council and is being implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

As part of its mission to strengthen regional resilience, the WRP is delivering specialised training on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) to Pacific Island countries. CAP is a globally recognised standard and message format that enables faster, clearer, and more coordinated emergency warnings across multiple communication channels and networks simultaneously ensuring communities receive timely and actionable information when hazards strike. CAP Alerts can be geographically targeted to a defined warning area, and the format is capable of including maps, images, video and audio for improved accessibility while also supporting multiple languages.

Through this initiative, WRP has commissioned New Zealand Meteorological Service (Met Service) to deliver training across five Pacific nations: the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, Niue, Papua New Guinean (PNG) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). 

The programme reflects a growing regional commitment to strengthening early warning systems as a critical component of disaster risk reduction and economic resilience.

The training is delivered by New Zealand Meteorological Service’s Pacific Meteorology Lead, Mr. Raveen Das, a recognised expert in Pacific meteorology and severe weather forecasting. Mr. Das has played key roles in advancing international meteorological initiatives across the region and is delivering the training in coordination with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The initiative strongly aligns with the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All (EW4All) global effort to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems.

“Effective early warnings are one of the most powerful tools we have to protect lives, livelihoods, and national development gains in the Pacific,” said Mr. Das. “By strengthening the systems that generate and disseminate official alerts, we are helping ensure that communities from remote outer islands to urban centres receive clear, trusted warnings that enable them to act early.”

The training brings together a broad group of stakeholders responsible for issuing and responding to warnings. Participants include representatives from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, National Disaster Management Offices, humanitarian partners, national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, traditional knowledge champions, and other authorised alerting agencies.

The sessions cover the core principles and operational foundations that underpin CAP, including alerting fundamentals, impact-based forecasting and warning services, and approaches for contextualizing global standards to the unique needs of Pacific communities. A key emphasis is on inclusivity ensuring warning systems reach all people, including those in remote locations and vulnerable populations, so that no one is left behind when hazardous situations arise.

The training in RMI was held from 9-12 March, with FSM’s held from 24-26 March. The two trainings mark a significant milestone with both countries now operational with CAP capability. The next training under this regional initiative is scheduled to take place in Kiribati from 4-6 May, PNG from 11-13 May, and Niue from 25-27 May.

By strengthening early warning capabilities across the Pacific, Weather Ready Pacific is helping nations better anticipate and respond to hazards, protecting communities while supporting sustainable development and economic resilience in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions.

About Weather Ready Pacific

The Weather Ready Pacific Programme is a decadal programme of investment managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), endorsed by Pacific Leaders, aimed at strengthening hydrometeorological services across Pacific countries and territories. WRP is committed to Pacific-led, inclusive, and transformative approaches to weather and disaster resilience. Financial support is provided by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) of the United Kingdom.

For more information, contact WRP Programme Manager, 'Ofa Fa’anunu: [email protected] or the Communications & Knowledge Management Officer, Angelica Salele-Sefo: [email protected]