30 April 2026, Nadi – Twelve Pacific Island nations are gathering in Nadi, Fiji this week to shape the future of weather forecasting across the region, a step that could mean the difference between life and death for vulnerable Pacific communities facing the growing threats of tropical cyclones, storm surges, flooding, and other extreme weather events.
The Integrated Forecasting Platform (IFP) Development Workshop, from 29 April to 1 May 2026 at the Novotel brings together senior forecasters and Information Communication Technology (ICT) specialists from Pacific Meteorological Services alongside regional technical experts to co-design a common forecasting platform suited to the unique needs of the Pacific.
The landmark workshop is being delivered under the Pacific Leaders' Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the Australia Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand Meteorological Services.
Mr. Mikaele Belena, Deputy Secretary Operations, Ministry of Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport – Fiji, said: “Fiji is proud to play a central role in this regional effort. Strengthening our national systems not only benefits Fiji, but also supports our neighbours across the Pacific who rely on shared data and regional cooperation. Strong partnerships, shared systems, and collective action are essential if we are to remain weather ready and climate resilient in the years ahead. Our communities face increasing climate risks, and they deserve the best possible forecasts we can provide.”
At the heart of this effort is a simple but urgent truth: Pacific Island communities are among the most exposed to extreme weather in the world, yet many National Meteorological Services lack the integrated digital tools needed to deliver accurate, timely, and life-saving forecasts and warnings to the people who need them most, from remote atolls in Tokelau and Tuvalu to remote communities in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
It is encouraging to see the Weather Ready Pacific IFP Development Workshop bringing together regional experts in both forecasting and ICT,” said Mr Maccarios Auvae, Samoa Meteorological Services.
“This collaboration enables the identification of key gaps and challenges faced by each NMHS, which stands out as a major highlight of the workshop. The next step will be to develop a system informed by the recommendations emerging from these discussions.”
The workshop marks a critical milestone in Phase 1 of the IFP, which seeks to develop a shared solutions architecture and data design for the Pacific, assess each country's specific forecasting needs and gaps, and uplift Fiji's Meteorological Services systems as the region's primary RSMC (Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre for Cyclones). Planning is already underway for Phase 2, which will roll out the forecasting platform to all participating Pacific countries.
Over the three days, country representatives will present their current forecasting capabilities and priorities, work through a draft architecture design for the platform, validate ICT infrastructure assessments, and discuss Pacific-specific approaches to data sharing, storage, and sovereignty, including implementation options for WMO's WIS 2.0 global information system. The workshop will also feature case studies from the Caribbean and the United Kingdom, and a demonstration of potential software options for the broader Pacific IFP rollout.
A key output will be an agreed regional architecture that considers not just the technical requirements but the long-term sustainability of the platform, with multiple countries sharing infrastructure and costs, reducing the financial burden on individual small island states and ensuring the system endures far beyond the life of any single funding cycle.
The Fiji Meteorological Services, as the designated RSMC for the Pacific, will play a central role in the platform's design, providing regional data ingest and visualisation capabilities and supporting the dissemination of forecasting products to other Pacific nations.
“What we are building here this week is not just a technology platform, it is a lifeline for Pacific communities. whether it is a coastal village receiving marine warnings before launching fishing boats, farmers receiving the weekly outlook to plan their crop planting schedule, the value of the forecast is achieved when it reaches the last mile,” said Ms Marica Ratuki, Infrastructure & ICT Adviser.
“This workshop is about ensuring that every National Meteorological Service across our Pacific has the tools, the data, and the connections to deliver that warning in time. This is what Weather Ready Pacific was designed to do, and today, we are starting to making it real.”
The 12 countries participating in the IFP workshop include Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The workshop ends on Friday with a session of the Pacific Islands Communications and Infrastructure (PICI) Panel, which will consider the high-level architecture design for endorsement and a preliminary implementation plan for consultation.
About the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme.
The Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) is a Pacific-led, Pacific-owned decadal Programme of Investment endorsed by Pacific Leaders. Implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), WRP aims to reduce the human and economic costs of severe weather, water, and ocean events across Pacific Island communities by strengthening National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and their partnerships with National Disaster Management Offices. Since 2023, WRP is designated the primary regional vehicle for delivering the United Nations Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative in the Pacific. The programme is supported by the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
For more information, please contact:
Ms Marica Ratuki, Infrastructure & ICT Adviser, WRPP – maricar@sprep.org
Ms Angelica Salele-Sefo, Communications & Knowledge Management Officer, WRPP – angelicas@sprep.org