This week marks the 100th Online Climate Outlook Forum (OCOF) between 11 Pacific countries and Australia in monitoring climate.
OCOF is an online forum which allows climate officers in pacific countries including Vanuatu to share their seasonal climate outlooks.
It is a monthly teleconference where they(climate partners) get together to discuss and analyst past happenings and possible implications, the Director at the Climate Division of the Vanuatu and Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD), Philip Malsale explained.
This includes predicting rainfalls, looking at El Niño and La Niña, ocean temperatures and sharing the impacts experienced by each countries as in terms of food and water shortages, said Malsale.
He added: ‘‘OCOF is a very useful platform used by the VMGD climate officers to establish linkages between other regional climate drivers including scientists.
“It is also used to determine impacts on weather related events in Vanuatu.
“It is the source of scientific information, exchange and dilute to the monthly climate briefings for stakeholders in Vanuatu for decision making. Vanuatu will continue to be part of this in the coming years”.
The first OCOF held 2007 was attended by representatives from Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Australia.
It is now regularly attended by the 11 countries with the addition of four others: Kiribati Niue, Papua New Guinea and Marshall Islands.
Over the years, dozens of pacific meteorological staff have used OCOF to engage with colleagues from around the region — developing a strong network, building confidence and discussing important regional climate issues.
The 100th occasion of the OCOF was marked by either morning tea or lunch in countries to acknowledge the longstanding cooperation which promotes quality climate science across pacific region.
The VMGD organized a lunch gathering to recognize the achievement.