24 August 2017: The latest developments in climate change capacity building have included initiatives by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and partners aimed at improving meteorological services in Asia-Pacific, and an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) workshop on drought risk management. The UNFCCC Secretariat has issued an annual technical progress report of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB).

The WMO opened a regional office for the Asia-Pacific region in Singapore to improve coordination on hazards and to strengthen meteorological services for rapidly evolving economic sectors, such as air and marine transport. Hosted by the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), the regional office will serve as the center for implementing WMO’s capacity-development initiatives in the region, including on climate science, aeronautical meteorology and transboundary hazards. [WMO Press Release]

Pacific ministers reaffirmed their political will to support sustainable weather, climate, ocean and water services in the region, including through a proposed “self-sustaining trust fund” on meteorology.

The Government of Solomon Islands, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and WMO co-hosted the Fourth session of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-4) in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from 14-17 August 2017. Following the Council, the Second Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology (PMMM-2) convened on 18 August. Ministers reaffirmed their political will to support sustainable weather, climate, ocean and water services in the region, including through a proposed “self-sustaining trust fund” on meteorology. [SPREP Press Release on Meteorology Trust Fund] [WMO PMC-4 and PMMM-2 Updates Webpage] [WMO Press Release]

The IGAD ICPAC workshop on drought risk management took place in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 23-25 August 2017. It highlighted the current, and offered recommendations for new, climate tools for drought risk management in Eastern Africa. The workshop sought to increase awareness of existing national and regional data, as well as monitoring and forecast products and mapping tools for the management of drought risk in the eight IGAD countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda).

The workshop preceded the 47th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 47) held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 21-22 August 2017 under the theme ‘Preparedness for potential El Niño event and related impacts.’ [CCAFS Press Release] [GHACOF 47 Announcement]

The ‘Annual technical progress report of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building’ (FCCC/SBI/2017/11), issued in preparation for the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference taking place in Bonn, Germany, from 6-17 November 2017, covers the PCCB’s work between its first meeting held in May 2017, and August 2017. The report includes information on: the first meeting of the PCCB; PCCB membership; the PCCB’s rules of procedure, working modalities and rolling workplan for 2017-2019; progress made by the PCCB in the implementation of its workplan; and the implementation of the 2017 focus area or theme (capacity-building activities for the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in the context of the Paris Agreement). [Annual Technical Progress Report of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building]