THREE staff of the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service (SIMS) are currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Meteorology in Melbourne, Australia.
The meteorological graduate diploma training is part of a capacity-building initiative under a newly launched Twinning Partnership between SIMS and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
The partnership was officially launched at the SIMS Head Office at Vavaya Ridge in Honiara on Tuesday by the Australian High Commission’s Minister Counsellor Lindsay Buckingham.
“I am pleased to share that under this new partnership, three SIMS staff members are currently in Melbourne undertaking their Graduate Diploma in Meteorology, alongside forecasters from Australia and Papua New Guinea.”
Ms Buckingham said the training is a key component of the Twinning Partnership, which aims to enhance the Solomon Islands meteorological capabilities.
She took the opportunity to commend Solomon Islands Government for its leadership in recognising the importance of a robust and effective meteorological service as a foundation for sound environmental management.
Whilst the names of the three SIMS staff members were not announced during the launch, the initiative underscores Australia’s commitment to supporting SIMS in strengthening its weather observation and forecasting capabilities.
Ms Buckingham highlighted that the partnership will focus on several key areas, including training and upskilling meteorological staff, upgrading manual weather stations to semi-automated systems, enhancing severe weather monitoring and forecasting and strengthening operational resilience at SIMS.
Australia has also supported the construction of the SIMS office block as part of an integrated approach to disaster risk management.
This collaboration reflects the ongoing efforts to improve the Solomon Islands’ ability to predict and respond to severe weather events, ultimately safeguarding communities and the environment.
The Twinning Partnership marks a significant step forward in fostering closer ties between SIMS and BOM, ensuring that the Solomon Islands is better equipped to manage weather-related challenges in the years to come.
By LACHLAN SHYVES EDDIE
Solomon Star, Honiara
