Pacific Climate Training Convenes in Rarotonga
Meteorological services and media representatives from four Pacific nations gather for five days of knowledge brokers training on climate information.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Current Conditions
Pacific Met Services and media representatives are beginning a five-day Knowledge Brokers in Climate Services training in Rarotonga from November 2 to November 6, 2026. The training is delivered by SPREP through the EU-funded ClimSA Pacific Programme with COSPPac support.
Why it matters
Knowledge brokers connect the people who produce climate information with the people who need it to make decisions. The Pacific is heading into what could be the most intense El Niño on record, raising the stakes for clear communication.
The training runs five days, from November 2 to November 6, 2026, and includes participants from Fiji, Cook Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga. Fourteen Pacific Island countries have been trained across the programme, with about 34 percent of those trained being women.
The players
SPREP
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme is an intergovernmental organization that supports environmental and climate action across Pacific Island countries.
ClimSA Pacific Programme
An EU-funded programme delivering climate services capacity building in the Pacific, supported by COSPPac.
The details
Participants from National Meteorological Services and media organizations work through the climate services value chain, stakeholder analysis, media releases and inclusive communications. The training was developed following an SPREP assessment and has been trialled with NMHSs, with participant feedback used to refine it.
Timeline
May 2025: Sub-regional Knowledge Brokers training held in Honiara for Melanesia.
September 2025: Sub-regional training held in Pohnpei for Micronesia.
November 2-6, 2026: Polynesia Knowledge Brokers training runs in Rarotonga.
Seasonal Patterns
This Rarotonga session is the third sub-regional Knowledge Brokers training under the EU-funded ClimSA Pacific Programme, following Honiara in May 2025 and Pohnpei in September 2025. It comes as forecasters warn the region may face one of the most intense El Niño events on record.
Residents across Pacific Island countries should watch for official forecasts from their National Meteorological Services as El Niño conditions develop. Media and community members are encouraged to rely on verified climate information when preparing for changing conditions.
The takeaway
Clear, well-communicated climate information helps communities prepare for extreme events. Training that links forecasters with journalists and community communicators strengthens that link before conditions worsen.
Further reading
For broader context on regional climate monitoring, see Current Conditions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pacific Islands News Association.
