South Pacific Sea level and Climate Monitoring Project
Philip Hall, SPSCLCMP & Mary Power, SOPAC
Published in: The Island Climate Update,
No. 71, August 2006.
The South Pacific Sea
Level and Climate Monitoring Project (SPSLCMP) commenced in 1991 with the primary
goal of generating an accurate record of variance in long–term sea level for
the South Pacific and to establish methods to make these data readily available
and usable by Pacific Island Countries (PICs). The
project provides high quality data for use by the international scientific
community and PICs to better understand the potential
impacts of climate change and to plan adaptation responses across many sectors
including the planning and development of coastal resources, management of
fresh water resources, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and infrastructure. The
SPSLCMP has entered its fourth phase, which commenced on 1 January 2006 and
extends to 31 December 2010.
AusAID has engaged the Australian Bureau of
Meteorology (BoMET) to provide overall project
management and coordination for Phase IV. BoMET is
working with its implementing partners Geoscience
Australia (GA) and South Pacific Geoscience
Commission (SOPAC), the National Meteorology Services (NMSs)
and South Pacific Regional Environment Programme
(SPREP) to strengthen relationships with regional stakeholders and to maintain
the collective focus on the SPSLCMP’s primary purpose
of sea level monitoring.
Phase
IV will provide ongoing operation and maintenance of the existing 12 high
resolution sea level (SEAFRAME) monitoring stations and 10 Continuous Global
Positioning System (CGPS) sites located in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated
States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea,
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu; install two CGPS stations
deferred from Phase III (Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands); manage
presentation and analysis of sea level data; and develop data products to meet
the needs of stakeholders, especially the NMSs in the
participating PICs.
Phase
IV also incorporates some changes in administration and funding mechanisms. To
ensure continuity of data collection, recurrent costs for communications and
utilities associated with project sites will now be absorbed by the project
rather than be borne by the participating PICs. PICs will continue to provide in-country support and
facilities required by the network, such as providing access to associated land
and infrastructure and performing “first-in” maintenance on behalf of
AusAID will undertake a strategic review of the
Project in 2007 to ensure that the Project’s long term directions provide for
long–term sustainability and are effectively aligned with other emerging
regional climate activities and priorities. Extension of the network to include
SEAFRAME and CGPS sites in Niue and
The
SPSLCMP is succeeding in its goal to provide an accurate continuous long-term
record of sea level in the Pacific region for partner countries and the
international scientific community that enables them to respond to and manage
climate-related impacts.
For more information contact:
Philip
Hall
Project
Manager, SPSLCMP
Email:
philip@faerberhall.com
Web:
http://www.bom.gov.au/Pacificsealevel/
Mary
Power
South
Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)
Email:
Mary@sopac.org
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