Climate Exchange

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ments in Fiji: the Vaturu Dam, which is used for water

supply and was also the subject of a PI-CPP pilot

project; and the Monasavu Dam, which is used to

supply a hydropower station. The Fiji Meteorological

Service has expressed an interest in incorporating the

hydropower scheme at Monasavu Dam into its own

pilot project programme. Incorporating the method-

ologies developed during the Samoa project into a

customized water balance software-modelling tool

for more general operational use in informing risk

management strategies in the hydropower sector

remains an ongoing goal.

To achieve this would require additional investigation of

the underlying assumptions made in this particular case

as well as the inclusion of downscaled climate change

factors for accurate simulation of power demand under

future climate scenarios. The future strategy of the climate

application projects

under COSPPac is to improve the

supply of documentation and online tools, enabling other

countries to have access to a framework that would allow

them to undertake similar projects on their own.

Principles of the GFCS

The primary aim of the Samoan hydropower project was

to build the capacity of SMD and EPC to respond effec-

tively to the challenges posed by climate variability and

climate change. SMD’s capacity to produce customized

seasonal forecasts and communicate climate information

to the hydropower sector has certainly increased, as has

the capacity in hydrological modelling, data collection

and the use of climate information to inform manage-

ment decisions in EPC. Additionally, BoM has gained

valuable experience in working with the short and

incomplete datasets that are common in the developing

countries of the Pacific, thus exemplifying Principle 1

of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

The collaboration between the Government of

Australia, through AusAID and BoMwith the Government

of Samoa, through SMD and EPC, is a cogent example

of the application of GFCS Principle 5. The develop-

ment and implementation of this project involved the

exchange of data and expertise between SMD and EPC

as well as the provision of data from both parties to BoM,

enabling the development of a water balance model for

Afulilo Dam. This form of cooperation and collaboration

is the core focus of GFCS Principle 6.

The anticipated end point of this project is an operational

climate riskmanagement system for the Afulilo hydropower

scheme. This would have SMD acting as an information

provider through the dissemination of customized climate

forecasts and warning bulletins, while EPC acted in a client

role, processing these bulletins into a useable energymanage-

ment framework. The outcome would provide greater

flexibility in water storage and energy generating potential

as well as mitigation of the risks posed by climate variabil-

ity. The structure of this project therefore aligns closely with

GFCS Principles 4 and 8, which focus on operational climate

services and user-client relationships respectively.

hydrology data to SMD at irregular intervals. These developments

point to a growing operational relationship and associated data

sharing between EPC and SMD, which the PI-CPP pilot projects

have helped to foster. This relationship is likely to improve these

agencies’ response to climate variability and climate change. The

improved interlinkages and networking between the agencies will

improve the Samoan Government’s capacity to respond to climate

challenges that require concerted action and cooperation across

multiple government divisions.

Towards an operational energy management system

The results of the long-term supply and demand scenarios will be

presented at an in-country workshop undertaken by COSPPac in

the near future. The workshop will also provide an opportunity

for further discussions with SMD and EPC on how best to utilize

the tools and results of the pilot project. Formal correspondence

between managers at EPC and SMD would then be required to

develop a prototype risk management plan, which would involve the

provision of customized climate forecasts from SMD to be used by

EPC to inform energy production and water management strategy.

The aim is for EPC and SMD to have the necessary tools to develop a

sustainable, operational system capable of being maintained independ-

ently by the two organizations. This outcome would include providing

the developed water balance model to the two organizations and

ensuring access to the tools – such as the IHACRES and WeatherMan

software – required to maintain and update it. Further training and

capacity building efforts would be conducted by COSPPac as part of

this handover.

Future projects

The processes developed through this project could be imple-

mented elsewhere in the Pacific region, within catchments

containing similar sized or larger dams. There are two such catch-

Amanda Amjadali (COSPPac), Sunny Seuseu (SMD), Bobby Ah To and Wairaarapa

Young (EPC) discuss future directions for the renewable energy pilot project in Samoa

Image: Australian BoM