The Island Climate Update (ICU) continues in its 7th year as a multi-national and multi-organisational monthly climate bulletin with a primary goal of assisting Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in making informed planning and management decisions relating to climate sensitive sectors through the provision of timely and accurate seasonal climate forecasts. It is published monthly both in print and online by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand and is funded by the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID).
Much of the project’s success to date has depended on the multi-national collaboration by all participating partners especially concerning access to historical and real time climate data and expert advice from Pacific National Meteorological Services (NMS) and climate research institutions in the region.
In early 2006, the first review of the ICU was carried out. Three key recommendations emerged:
- continue production of a regional climate forecasting bulletin;
- continue strengthening collaborations with end users and strengthen ties to cover users;
- strengthen and expand critical partnerships with regional partners and programmes.
A follow-up review will be conducted by the 3 coordinating agencies (SOPAC, SPREP and NIWA) from July through to September 2007. Some of information we hope to find out through this survey include:
- changes (if any) in audience
- readers’ response to ICU products and services
- readers’ response to improvements made since the first review
- change in relationship/interaction between primary and secondary users
The ICU project is one of the regional initiatives in support of the Pacific Hydrological Cycle Observing System (HYCOS) project by providing climate forecasting information for its drought and flood forecasting components.
Your assistance in this survey would be much appreciated by the ICU project team (NIWA, Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Programme (SPREP), and Secretariat of the Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC)).
Click here to download the questionnaire. Please send in your responses to Linda Yuen at SOPAC before 30 September 2007 by:
E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +679 3370 040 Post: SOPAC Secretariat, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji