CSIRO collaborating to bring science to the people of the Pacific

The Support Unit has commissioned the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to carry out two related activities, working with Australian aid investment programs and their partners in the Pacific (governments, development partners, civil society groups and private sector associations) to: (1) establish and develop a regional action plan and tools for updating and applying climate change projections for the Pacific; and (2) help tailor this information to better support Pacific climate change knowledge brokers communicate complex climate information to inform future decision making.

This week, the two CSIRO teams came together to discuss the state of climate data and information in the Pacific, including the availability of observational climate data and longer-term records, and the reliability and utility of global climate models and down-scaled projections for Pacific Island countries (and how to identify a trustworthy climate model!).

While accessing observational climate data and future projections is one thing, being able to use and make sense of it within different sectors and socio-economic contexts is another. Therefore, discussions also focused on the types of climate information Pacific partners are requiring right now, the types of individuals or institutions using and communicating this information (e.g. the knowledge brokers), and how these knowledge brokers could be best supported, in terms of guidance, tools and processes, when it comes to making climate-informed decisions for the future.