Pacific Climate Information System (PaCIS)

The Pacific Climate Information System (PaCIS) provides a programmatic framework to bring together ongoing and future climate observations, operational forecasting services and climate projections, research, assessment, data management, outreach, and education - an integrated system of climate services - to address the needs of the Pacific Islands. It provides a forum for sharing the expertise, experience, and perspective needed to guide integrated program planning and product development.

Actionable Information to Support Resilient Communities and Sustainable Ecosystems

Vision

Resilient and sustainable Pacific communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making in the context of climate variability and change.

Mission

Clarify climate information needs to guide climate education, outreach, user information needs, observations, products, services, research and assessment.
Provide access to critical data, research and new climate information products and services.
Translate research and assessment results into useful and usable climate information.
Interpret global and regional climate forecasts and projections for local applications.
Enhance regional and local capabilities to manage risks and support sustainable development in the context of climate variability and change.
Enhance collaboration among national, regional and international institutions and programs involved in climate information services.

Activities recently completed or currently under way:

NEW Quarter 4, 2016 Hawaii and Pacific Islands Climate and Impacts Outlook "dashboard and one-pager". This product draws on the PEAC Climate Center’s "Pacific ENSO Update" quarterly newsletter and other sources to bring together seasonal predictions and projections information alongside recent impacts of weather and climate events in a concise and accessible format.

Pacific Islands Climate Outlooks, Climatologies and Scenarios Catalogs. On these websites, users can search, by region and/or climate variable for example, and find a list of relevant products along with a brief summary and a direct link to each.
PacificIslandsClimate.org (a.k.a. 'piko'). This website is a gateway to a broad range of information related to climate in the Pacific Islands. It includes summaries of programs, projects, and activities, as well as products and services.

NEW Probabilistic estimates of extreme still water levels under a changing climate for specific locations in the Pacific Islands. Results of the second phase of an effort to support the development of innovative methodologies and best practices and develop innovative products that can be used to support climate change and variability-related vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning.

NEW Enhancing Capacity for Climate Change and Variability in the Pacific Small Island Developing States

Pacific Islands Climate Dialogs
April 2014 - RMI
June 2014 - Vanuatu
July 2014 - American Samoa and Samoa
September 2014 - Cook Islands Freshwater/Drought and Cook Islands Reefs/Fisheries
Pacific Islands Climate Services Forum
January, 2013 – Fiji
Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands regional chapter of the National Climate Assessment
The PIRCA report "Climate Change and Pacific Islands: Indicators and Impacts"

December 2011 PaCIS Plan for Regional Climate Services PaCIS Terms of Reference and Composition History of PaCIS
March 2011 PaCIS Steering Committee Meeting PaCIS Flyer For more information, contact: John Marra

Upper left: Pohnpei billboard during a severe El Niño in 1997-1998. Courtesy of the NWS Pacific Region photo archives.
Right - top to bottom and right to left: Children cutting copra on Namdrik Atoll, Marshall Islands, 2005. Courtesy of Rachel Miller, Project Assistant Pacific RISA; Photo of a Palauan native fisherman. Courtesy of the National Weather Service Pacific Region photo archives; A freshwater still used to turn salt water into potable water, with a native of Kapingamarangi Atoll. Courtesy of Rick Herman, Emergency Services Unit Manager, Pohnpei State Department of Public Safety; Sea level rise: a tree in the middle of the ocean at high tide in Kosrae, FSM taken in 2011. Courtesy of Charlene Felkley, PEAC Outreach Officer; A desiccated breadfruit on the tree in Kapingamarangi Atoll during a severe drought, September 2010 through May 2011. Courtesy of Rick Herman, Emergency Services Unit Manager, Pohnpei State Department of Public Safety; and Reef with yellow tang fish. Courtesy of NMFS Pacific Region photo archives.
This developmental website was put together by representatives of the NOAA NCDC working in support of PaCIS.