Based on the unique demands of sectoral stakeholder and national priorities, RIMES continues to develop tools, training materials and decision support systems by: 

• Integrating forecast products of high resolution and varying scales with localized decision context based on country’s demands
• Integrating localized analytics, and advanced technology for information access – Internet of Things (IOT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Improving visualization and interactive dashboard for enhanced user-engagement
• Scaling up DSS to support action oriented advisory and warning services generation

Capacity Building in Climate Change Adaptation
RIMES builds capacities in end-to-end multi-hazard early warning to meet differential needs and demands of its Member States by 

1. Providing high-resolution climate change scenarios : Use of dynamic and statistical downscaling techniques to generate evidence-based precipitation, temperature, and sea level scenarios at different time scales 
2. Assessment of potential climate change impacts : Scenario interpretation and translation into potential impacts in climate-sensitive sectors to inform adaptation planning
3. Analysis of adaptation status: Evaluation of institutional systems and capacities, including household capacities, and gaps therein, for confronting potential climate change impacts
4. Facilitating consensus-based adaptation planning : Participatory multi-stakeholder identification and prioritization of adaptation options, and action planning
5. Decision-support system and tool development : Development of decision-support systems, methodologies, and tools for adaptation uptake
6. Capacity building : Assistance in re-configuration of institutional systems to manage evidence-based climate change information, local demonstrations of adaptation options, transfer of methods and tools, and training.
    

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Climate change is without doubt the most significant factor influencing the future of our life on earth, with extreme weather events already more frequent and intense, causing increasingly adverse impacts to lives and livelihoods felt globally. With knowledge of climate changes and strong preparedness plans, societies can both optimize opportunities, better cope with climate hazards, and reduce the losses incurred by such events. Program development, therefore, needs to consider climate risks and integrate measures to ensure that these risks are reduced to acceptable levels.

Climate proofing refers to  the process of assessing sensitivity of development outcomes to current and future climate and ensuring that climate risks are reduced and integrated in the planning, design, budgets, and implementation of development programs.
Climate proofing entails:

• analysis of the climate in the project area, which includes current climate variability and extremes, observable trends, and climate change scenario
• analysis of climate sensitivity of each program output/ outcome; and level of risk to the program output/ outcome.
• identification and prioritization of adaptation opportunities. These measures or adaptation opportunities are then scored for their adaptation value and the enabling environment for taking up such options.
• provision of recommendations for integration into project design and implementation.
   

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Climate risk management is a process that helps assess and manage societal vulnerability associated with existing and future patterns of climate risk. Risks could stem from both short-term climate variability and long-term climate change. Adaptation strategies are then integrated into development strategies, policies, plans, and projects. The objective is to build in-country capacity to analyze, prevent and manage risks related to climate variability and change and define climate risk management solutions. The CRM process supports capacity enhancement at national, regional and community levels.

The curriculum is delivered over 13 weeks, facilitated by the NMHS, Department of Agriculture, and RIMES. The FARM School enhances understanding of farmers about the impact of weather/climate on crops, pests and diseases and the use of weather and climate information in improving crop management.  

These interactive training modules promote better understanding by forecast providers of farmers’ forecast application contexts and issues, and advocate for and facilitate farmer’s use of forecast information in crop planning and management.
 

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Ongoing services provided by RIMES to National Tsunami Warning Centers of Member States include:

• Seismic, sea level and deep ocean monitoring
• Data exchange, processing and analysis, and archiving
• Provision of earthquake alerts and regional tsunami bulletins

RIMES supports NTWCs for the integration of climate change adaptation strategy to reduce vulnerability and enhance community resilience through: 

• supporting the development of disaster prevention and response mechanisms:  early warning systems, contingency planning and integrated response, to promote effective community adaptation and risk management
• building projected climate change related trends into risk and vulnerability assessments, based on current climate variability
• strengthening existing capacity, among local authorities, civil society and private sector, to ensure effective climate risk management and scale up of adoption
• integrating adaptation into longer term national and local level sustainable development planning
• facilitating access to resources needed for adaptation; both technical and financial

In order to build capacity of RIMES member states during severe weather, RIMES is involved in bathymetric, topographic, and exposure data generation for tsunami risk assessment, development of tsunami hazard and risk maps and creation of SOP for tsunami warning
 

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Capacity building is an integral component in RIMES climate information application projects. We build institutional capacity to translate early warning information into sectoral impact forecasts to guide advisory generation, and enable end-users to access forecasts and warnings, understand risks and act.

RIMES supports NMHSs’ priorities and conducts on-demand training and workshops with the following objectives:

• Effective use of hydro-meteorological forecasts and enhancement using GIS tools
• Validation of forecasts and model improvement with observed data
• Development of localized hydrological models for impact based forecasting
• Enable effective user-engagement and feedback mechanism

Capacity building for climate-resilient development: The impact of climate changes on developing countries is much greater than the impact on developed countries. The absence of mitigation and adaptation measures results in the failure of development planning, and affects the most vulnerable populations.  

In most contexts, climate/weather information products from NMHSs have yet to be oriented to the needs of varied users. Furthermore, interaction between NMHSs and early warning information user agencies are limited to times of severe weather events, while the public lacks awareness on the potential use of these information products in their livelihood-related decision-making.

To ensure sustainable development, manage risks and optimize benefits of climate variability, steps need to be taken to factor in climate impact on development stakeholders and processes. This includes understanding the impact of climate on society and the risks posed, adapting comprehensive coping strategies within development plans, and ensuring that adaptation builds resilience among all affected stakeholders.
 

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RIMES builds capacities of forecasters in enhancing observation and monitoring systems, data process and analysis, prediction and forecasting, risk assessment, warning formulation and dissemination until the last mile, preparation of response options and system adjustment.

RIMES also builds end-user’s capacities in translating warning information into impact outlooks and response options, and their application in making decisions to reduce disaster risks. 

RIMES provides the following services to national and local level institutions within each Member States’ early warning frameworks:

• Assistance in establishing and maintaining observation and monitoring stations of regional benefit
• Training of scientists: in-country training and through secondment arrangements at the RIMES Regional Facility
• Co-development of decision-support tools and their integration into societal or sectoral application. These include risk assessment, interpretation and translation of early warning information products into impact outlooks and response options.
• Application of tailored risk information at different time scales in decision-making
• Early warning system audits
• Strengthening national early warning provider and user interface

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In order to assess and address evolving societal demands and needs, RIMES adopts a user-centered bottom-up approach that focuses on the user needs and demands as a driving factor to guide the entire process of climate/weather service co-production.

RIMES engages with both the service providers and end-users to create an enabling environment to sustainably deliver and integrate advanced early warning and climate products to meet societal needs. RIMES enhances capacities at all levels: early warning agencies to generate user-tailored forecast products and services, and end-users to receive, understand and internalize forecasts and warnings through improved dissemination of impact forecasts and risk management advisories. 

At the community level, user requirements and demands are captured through community consultations, household surveys, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) while at the sub-national and national level, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) are conducted and additional requirements collected from the field through periodic discussions in the monsoon forums.

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Low- and middle-income countries in this region face disproportionate humanitarian impacts with severe socio-economic losses every year due to structural barriers in applying warning information. While countries in the region are working to streamline their early action plan and early warning services in order to mitigate the impacts of climate-induced disasters, there is a need to deliver customized decision support systems and impact-based forecasts to local authorities for effective decision-making and communicate actionable early warning information to the communities to ultimately save lives and livelihoods.

RIMES engagement is focused on translating early warning information that is interpretable and actionable. RIMES builds mechanisms for effective last-mile communication and feedback loop to maximize the application of risk information at the sub-national, local, and community levels.

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An effective people-centered early warning system has four interrelated and equally important elements: risk knowledge, monitoring and warning service, dissemination and communication, and response capability. All four elements are central to a people-centered early warning system, and gaps in any of the elements can lead to the failure of an early warning system.

RIMES provides tools and mechanisms for community-based risk management and builds capacity in the seamless use of climate information at different timescales in planning and decision-making. Furthermore, the institutional system established for climate information application enables receipt of feedback from end-users on the usability of climate information, which is used to improve climate information products and delivery systems.

Risk Resilient Communities

UN-ISDR defines early warning as “provision of timely and effective information, through identified institutions, that allows individuals exposed to a hazard to take action to avoid or reduce their risk and prepare for effective response”. There is a greater need for the development of people-centered early warning systems. Such systems ensure that communities and individuals at risk are better prepared to minimize the negative impacts of disasters. RIMES initiatives in the region embody this approach and ensure that hazard readiness and climate risk management are prioritized at the community level.

Grass Roots Climate Risk Management

In addition to hazard readiness, a robust climate risk management (CRM) process should operate at the community level. CRM recognizes vulnerable community groups as the main beneficiary and partners in any CRM initiative and ensures the participation of all major stakeholders in disaster, environment, and community level work. Community-level decision makers participate in analysis of issues, understanding and influencing the policy environment, and in emergency preparedness and early warning system management. The linking of stakeholders at all key decision-making levels ensures the development of sustainable solutions.

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RIMES supports capacity building and system development for national-level institutional mechanisms to synergize national priorities in the early warning information value chain and co-production of services. 

This collaborative venture involving NMHSs and intermediary stakeholders is established to assess sector and institution-specific information or service needs. Sri Lanka National Climate Application Center (SNCCA), Bangladesh Climate Information Application Center (BANCCA) and DHM-RIMES Unit for Impact Forecast in Nepal, are initiatives that evolved in data sharing, data analytics, and data management systems leading to development of Decision Support System (DSS) by integrating data from NHMS and sectoral/user institutions. IMD-RIMES Unit: IRU for Impact Forecast in India, is in the pipeline and under consideration.

Bangladesh Climate Information Application Center (BANCCA) 

Bangladesh National Center for Climate Application (BANCCA) was formally established by BMD, Government of Bangladesh in October 2020, serving as an institutional framework to bring together service providers and stakeholders involving 15 climate/weather-related organizations. The BANCCA steering committee, headed by the senior secretary of the Ministry of Defense, comprises 12 members from different ministries. 

BANCCA is established with the aim to facilitate transforming weather/climate services from BMD into usable information to enhance resilience at all levels and contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

BANCCA is responsible for the operation and maintenance of DSS and developing the capacity of sectoral stakeholders to utilize and apply these services in areas like meteorological services, disaster management, health and education, urban and rural development, infrastructure, transport and civil aviation, water resources, fisheries and aquatic resources, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, planning and finance. 

BANCCA also monitors and documents evidence for the system in climate applications, provides technical guidance and drafts policy papers to influence climate-resilient investment and development. 

RIMES continues to provide technical assistance in realizing BANCCA’s strategic objectives towards delivering tailor-made services to user institutions and consolidating its best practices as a model for all RIMES members in the region. 

Sri Lanka National Climate Application Center (SNCCA)

Following the 3rd RIMES Ministerial Conference on 25th August 2017 in Port Moresby, PNG, SNCCA was envisioned as a coordinating body in the country and a sub-regional mechanism to drive national/regional priorities in climate applications in a more effective and sustainable way. The Sri Lankan cabinet approved SNCCA as RIMES Sub Regional Hub for South Asia on 24th September 2019.

Noting its rich experience in the climate information application, Sri Lanka is well positioned to encourage and replicate best practices among other RIMES members and the Collaborating States in using climate information at different timescales in planning, decision-making, and in guiding investments to better manage resources and reduce disaster risks. 

The center will be housed at the Department of Irrigation while being operationally linked to the generator and users of climate information across the spectrum: meteorological/climate services agency, agriculture, forestry and biodiversity, animal husbandry, fisheries, water resources, infrastructure, urban development, rural development, health, disaster management, planning, and finance sectors. 

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