WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
________________________________________
RA V TROPICAL CYCLONE COMMITTEE FOR THE
SOUTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH-EAST INDIAN OCEAN
THIRTEENTH SESSION
BALI, INDONESIA, 26 TO 29 APRIL 2010
RA V/TCC-XIII/Doc. 9(2)
(22.IV.2010)
___________________
ITEM 9
ENGLISH ONLY
OTHER BUSINESS
Support to RSMC Nadi
(Submitted by the Secretariat)
Summary and Purpose of Document
This document provides information on activities and decisions by WMO and
Members concerning “Support to RSMC Nadi” since the Twelfth Session of
RA V TCC (Alofi, Niue, 11-17 July 2008).
ACTION PROPOSED
The Tropical Cyclone Committee is invited to note the information given in this
document and consider further possible measures to further strengthen “Support to RSMC
Nadi”.
_________
RA V/TCC-XIII/Doc. 9(2), p. 1
1.
Background
1.1
The sixtieth session of WMO Executive Council (EC-LX, Geneva, June 2008)
acknowledged the various actions taken by the Secretary-General to support the operational
activities of RSMC Nadi. Noting the key findings and recommendations of the WMO factfinding mission to Fiji in July 2007, the Council requested the Secretary-General and urged
Members to consider providing further assistance to Fiji/RSMC Nadi to address priority
requirements, in particular: to provide more training fellowship to Fiji; to facilitate rotation of
Pacific meteorologists to RSMC Nadi during tropical cyclone seasons through the WMO
Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP); and to provide support for the implementation of
the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat review of the strengthening on regional and national
institutions and services for monitoring and communicating weather, climate and extreme
events including institutional and human capacity development necessary for tropical
cyclones and aviation services.
1.2
The twelfth session of RA V TCC (TCC-XII, Alofi, July 2008) noted that some of the
recommendations from the WMO fact-finding mission to Fiji (July 2007) could be addressed
through a long-term process while some are very urgent and need to be addressed
immediately.
1.3
TCC-XII, while acknowledging and recognizing the policy paper to be presented at
the seventeenth Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Smaller Island States (SIS) Leaders’ Summit in
August 2008, recognized that the outcomes most likely would not have immediate impact on
the short term issues related to regional meteorological services, in particular those related to
its work such as back-up arrangements for RSMC Nadi under the Tropical Cyclone
Operational Plan for the South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean (TCOP).
1.4
The Committee urged members (of RA V TCC) to support long-term initiative while
assisting RSMC Nadi through the continuation of training and capacity building opportunities
and, where possible, secondment of suitable staff.
1.5
The Committee also noted that one of the high priority and urgent requirements
identified in the mission’s report is the “long-term contingency back-up plan for RSMC Nadi
required for daily public and marine forecasts for nine Pacific Island Countries and Territories
(PICTs), Cook Islands; Fiji; Kiribati; Nauru; Niue; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Wallis &
Futuna, and for aviation forecasts (TAFs and Area Forecasts) for ten aerodromes in six
PICTs, Cook Islands; Kiribati; Nauru; Niue; Samoa; and Tonga.
Taking into full
consideration the recommendations from 12RMSD (Rarotonga, July 2008), the Committee
requested the Secretary-General to organize such a high-level dialogue.
1.6
The sixty-first session of WMO Executive Council (EC-LXI, Geneva, June 2009)
acknowledged the ongoing assistance provided by the Secretary-General and Members to
support RSMC Nadi operational activities in line with the recommendation of the WMO factfinding mission to Fiji in July 2007. Recognizing continuing challenges, such as the shortage
of professional meteorologists and tropical cyclone forecasters, the Council requested the
Secretary-General and urged Members to continue providing assistance to Fiji/RSMC Nadi to
address priority requirements and to develop a strategic approach for long-term assistance to
ensure provision of regional services at a fully operational level.
RA V/TCC-XIII/Doc. 9, p. 2
2.
Progress on Support to RSMC Nadi
Education, Training and Human Capacity Development
WMO Fellowships For Fiji/RSMC Nadi
2.1
In 2009, Mr Sanjay Prakash completed the graduate diploma in meteorology at
Australia Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre (BMTC); and Ms Aditi Y. Sharan and
Mr R.R. Prasad are studying the course in 2010.
WMO and Members Co-sponsored Subregional Human Capacity Development Events
2.2
The Fiji Meteorological Service/RSMC Nadi representative(s) participated in the
Regional Training in Aviation Meteorology for the Pacific Islands NMSs and the Training
Workshop on Severe Weather Situations for Forecasters from Pacific Islands NMSs (coorganized with Météo-France) in Noumea, New Caledonia, from 20 to 24 October 2008 and
in Tahiti, French Polynesia, from 13 to 21 October 2009.
Technical Cooperation Projects
Pacific-HYCOS
2.3
Fiji is participating in the Pacific-HYCOS project.
SPREP/Finish Government Project
2.4
Fiji is participating in the SPREP/Finnish Government project
WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP)
2.5
A regional VCP coordinated project, financially supported by the USA, for the
provision of LRUSs to enable SIDS in the Pacific to have access to meteorological satellite
images in LRIT format was implemented. Under this project, Fiji has also received an LRIT
receiver and software. Installation of equipment and training has been completed in Fiji in
November 2009.
_________