The Full Picture

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sites where data on water quality are critical to successful operations.

Second, by ensuring that the data and products being generated by

the large-scale coastal and open ocean observation programmes are

readily available in accessible formats and can be understood by a

broad range of users from across the Pacific Islands region.

Currently PI-GOOS is undertaking a number of initiatives to help

build capacity and bridge the data divide, such as compiling a cata-

logue of ocean observing systems and a digital marine atlas of the

Pacific Islands region. Given the potential impact of climate change

on coastal communities, support is also being given to locate and

acquire historical aerial photographs of Pacific Island coastlines. This

would allow a better understanding of the evolution of shorelines

and coastal environments in the context of climate change and local

management practices. Actions such as these, supported by aware-

ness raising and education programmes, will help PI-GOOS achieve

its long term vision of assisting development in Pacific Island nations

via improved uptake and use of data and information from oceanic

and coastal observing systems.

Pacific Hydrological Cycle Observing System

Pacific HYCOS is one of the regional components of WHYCOS, a

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) initiative aiming at

improving basic hydrological observation activities, strengthening

capacity and international cooperation, and promoting availability

and exchange of data.

The programme is hosted by SOPAC at its headquarters in Suva,

Fiji, and will be implemented over a three-year period (2006-2009).

At its core, Pacific HYCOS aims to improve the assessment, manage-

ment and protection of small island states’ freshwater resources

through the provision of appropriate collection and management

systems for water resources data. Access to better data and informa-

tion on the status of water resources has the potential to feed into and

improve local, regional and national planning efforts, economic

development, and environmental and public health issues.

The current programme covers 14 Pacific Island countries and

includes some of the most fragile communities in the world in terms

of water resources. This fragility is due to their small size, lack of

natural storage, competing land use, and vulnerability to natural and

anthropogenic hazards, including drought, cyclones and urban pollu-

tion. One of the key objectives of the programme is to

strengthen the technical capacity of National

Hydrological Services (NHS) in these countries, in rela-

tion to water resources assessment and management.

This will be achieved through targeted measures in the

following critical areas: water resources assessment in

major rivers; water resources databases; flood forecast-

ing; drought forecasting; and groundwater and surface

water quality monitoring and assessment.

As one of its functions, the Pacific HYCOS programme

continues the Pacific Dialogue on Water and Climate,

an initiative with the aim of improving capacity for water

resources management by establishing a platform

through which policymakers and water resource

managers have better access to and make better use of

information generated by climatologists and meteorol-

ogists. One of the tools promoted under Pacific HYCOS

is the production of the Island Climate Update bulletin,

which is published monthly by the National Institute of

Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in collabora-

tion with SOPAC, SPREP, and NMSs. The bulletin’s

primary goal is to assist Pacific Island countries in

making informed planning and management decisions

relating to climate-sensitive sectors, through the provi-

sion of timely and accurate seasonal climate forecasts.

Looking forward

The observing programmes operating in the Pacific

Islands region tackle all of the major components of the

hydrological cycle, from oceans and climate to surface

and ground water. By integrating the data, information

and products from all three programmes, our under-

standing of a number of critical environmental processes

and the ways in which they affect the lives of Pacific

Island communities will be significantly enhanced. The

combined data and information will, over time, help

strengthen regional and national capacity for sound

planning and decision making. In this way it will help

to build more sustainable livelihoods across the Pacific

Islands region.

The long-term vision for the Pacific is for countries

to have the capacity to undertake the necessary obser-

vation programmes, to not only understand their

climate, coasts, and water systems, but to use the infor-

mation to guide sustainable development and mitigate

against environmental hazards and threats. Until such

time, programmes such as PI-GOOS, PI-GCOS, and

Pacific HYCOS have a vital role to play in building obser-

vational capacity throughout the region. Their successful

implementation will ensure that some of the most

vulnerable nations on Earth are better equipped to serve

their communities at the local level and also tackle the

challenges and threats posed by global scale processes

such as climate change. Support for the Pacific Island

observing systems therefore needs to continue and in

some cases be enhanced in order to build resilience

among Pacific Island communities and ensure a secure

and healthy environment that future generations can

continue to benefit from.

River gauging, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

Photo: Marc Overmars

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