Region V: South-West Pacific

The South-West Pacific Region is a vast area that includes part of Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, encompassing 24 WMO Members that fall within the scope of the WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific. WMO Members in the Pacific sub-region are further supported by the Representative Office for the South-West Pacific (SWP). The region covers various climate zones and is prone to a wide array of climate and weather-related impacts, from heatwaves and droughts to cyclones and floods. Southeast Asia's climate is largely shaped by monsoons and trade winds, while the Pacific is influenced by La Niña and El Niño cycles. The region is also part of the seismically active Pacific Rim.
An aerial view of a flooded village.
Aerial view of Situation Flood in sangatta city, east kutai, east Kalimantan, Indonesia on 21 March 2022.
Adobe Stock

Over the past 50 years, the region has suffered 1,493 disasters, causing 66,951 deaths and $185.8 billion in economic losses. Tropical cyclones are the leading cause of these fatalities. The Southeast Asia sub-region includes countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Pacific sub-region consists of Australia, New Zealand, and 14 Small Island Developing States. These islands are particularly vulnerable due to their low capacity for meteorological services. 

 Warming oceans and rising sea levels exacerbate these risks, especially for low-lying islands and coastal populations. To address these challenges, WMO collaborates with partners like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as well as the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to enhance Members’ early warning systems. Regional climate reports backed by scientific and socioeconomic data are aiding in policy formulation to build resilience against the escalating impacts of climate change. 

Projects in the region

Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA)

The adverse impacts of climate change are a major challenge to the socio-economic development of developing countries, particularly the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Land-locked Developing Countries (LLDCs). The 79 Members of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) are considered to be the most vulnerable countries to the existential threats of climate change. Yet Member States of the OACPS have contributed least to greenhouse gas emissions.The Intra-ACP Climate Services and related Applications Programme (ClimSA) is a EUR 85 M initiative of the OACPS and the European Union. It is an important investment under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) aiming to strengthen the climate services value chain: from access to information, generation and provision of climate services to engagement and capacity building of users to ensure utilization of these services.ClimSA aims to support the climate information services value chain with technical assistance, financial assistance, and infrastructure and capacity building support to improve wide access and use of climate information and applications for decision making processes at all levels, in the six regions of the OACPS through eight Regional Climate Centres (RCCs).As main users of climate services and the bridge to other final users, the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the African Union Commission (AUC), the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) will be the focus of the action to ensure sustainability and utilization of climate services. 

Climate Science Information for Climate Action (CSICA)

Since October 2018, and in response to the Paris Agreement (Article 7, paragraph 7 (c)) WMO and Green Climate Fund (GCF) have partnered to provide the global community with access to new climate information, tools, and guidance to facilitate the generation and use of climate information in support of climate action decisions, recognizing the contribution and value of science-based decision-making in responding to climate change.  Some of the products developed by WMO include a methodology for Developing the Climate Science Information for Climate Action (WMO-No. 1287), data, tools and associated technical resources for enhancing the climate science basis for GCF-funded projects and activities, as well as for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and climate policies.  The aim of providing these products is to help all countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing states (SIDS) and developing countries to identify and select the most effective climate actions to address climate impacts. In doing so, the guidance can contribute to country-level decision-making and the mobilization of climate finance.The Climate Science Information for Climate Action (CSICA) initiative was officially launched in 2021 at the twenty-sixth Conference of Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, Scotland. Furthermore, the GCF Board at its thirty-third Session in July 2022 adopted Decision 19 (GCF B.33/19) recognizing the results of the WMO-GCF collaboration and acknowledged the importance of scaling up the support for strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders to access, synthesize, and incorporate relevant climate science information into climate action policies, plans and investments, as well as enhancing the hydrological and meteorological systems and associated climate information services for low-carbon and climate-resilient development.Noting significant demand from countries, and high-level political support for this work, WMO is implementing the CSICA initiative through the provision of institutional coordination support, technical advisory services, capacity development and increased partnerships. 

Coastal Inundation Forecasting Demonstration Project Fiji (CIFDP-F) : Development of an Integrated Coastal Inundation Forecasting System in Fiji

The CIFDP- F is facilitating the development of efficient forecasting and warning systems for coastal inundation based on robust science and observations, along vulnerable coastal areas in Fiji. In doing so, the CIFDP-F will integrate cross-cutting scientific models into an open forecasting environment for the purpose of improving/ expanding/ developing the forecasting and warning systems for storm surges, hydrological response to heavy rainfall and Tropical Cyclone landfall on coastal areas, and other phenomena causing coastal inundation. Beneficiary groups  are mainly coastal communities in Fiji in the immediate term, through the improved performance of national institutions responsible for coastal disaster forecasting, warning, and climate adaptation planning. Every year, populations in coastal zones are impacted by coastal inundation caused by waves, including long period swell, storm surges and hydrological inundation, resulting in loss of life and damage to property. The results of this project will provide critical information to improve forecasting, warning, and evacuation planning in coastal zones.            The beneficiary sectors will include the coastal residents (end users) in agriculture, fishery, tourism and other industries, disaster managers in central and regional governments (intermediary users). In particular, improved forecasting services will serve greatly to ensure safe operation of tourism business, which is a major source of Fiji’s income. The project is divided into phases to be implemented within the period 2016 to 2020 and a total budget of USD 1.2 million, generously provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration.

WMO Offices in the region

WMO Representative Office for the South-West Pacific (SWP)

SPREP Campus, Vailima 

Apia, Samoa 

Email: rap@wmo.int 

WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific

36 Kim Chuan Road, 

Singapore 537054 

Singapore 

Email: rap@wmo.int