Vulnerability and a Ada aptation Assessm A ment Tra aining Workshop W p introd duces Sim mCLIM On November 25‐‐26, the Office of Environmental Planning & dination in collaboration Policy Coord with Dr. Petter Urich and Do onovan Burton from m CLIMsystems LLtd. of New Zealand conducted a Vulnerability and Adaptatio on workshop at the Marshall Isslands ence Development Bank Confere Room. Partticipants came frrom The Ministry of Resources and Development (MoRD), Marshall Islands Consservation Society (MICS), Environmental Prottection A), Chuuk Conse ervation Agency (EPA Society (CCSS), Marshall Islaands Marine Reso ources Authority (M MIMRA), and the Offiice of Environmen ntal Planning and Policy Coordinatio on (OEPPC). Th he purpose of tthe workshop w was to help the RM MI prepare its
Second National Communicaation through Sim mCLIM software training. SimCLIM is aa Vulnerability & & Adaptation Assessment softtware nce in that has a dominant presen over 50 pluss countries and regions. According to o Dr. Urich, “No other system in th he World compaares with SimCLIM, in terms of comprehensiveness and use er friendliness.” SimCLIM can be used to describe baseline climate es, examine current climate variability
and extremees, asses risks‐preesent and future, in nvestigate adaptation‐ present and future, create cllimate change scenaarios, conduct sensitivity an nalyses, examinee sectoral impaacts, examine uncertaintiess, and facilitate integrated im mpact analyses. “The key feature o of SimCLim is its unique integration o of data and models that allow simulattions of the effeects of climate variaability and changge (from global to locaal) which can bee performed siimultaneously in n a quick, seamleess manner,” says Dr.
Urich. If that weren’t enough h, the SIMClim softtware can be customized ffor any country iif given the appropriate data, RMI’s version being the RM MICLIM. The worrkshop was broken d down into two d days. The first bein ng the introduction to the softwaree, followed by the actual trainin ng where participants had a chancee to get hands on experience w with SimCLIM or more appropriatelyy said, RMICLIM. To
©Prepared by the Office O of Environm mental Planning & Policy Coordinattion (OEPPC)
everyone’s am mazement, the software was indeed easy to w work with and did n not require technical expertise. “W What takes hours for most scientistts to analyze, Sim mCLIM can do in less than three minu utes,” claims Dr. Uricch. The first dayy was concluded witth an interactivee hazards training exercise wheere participants h had a chance to rreview areas of vulneerability in the Marshalls, speecifically; its hum man resources & C Capacity, Food & & Water Securitty, Transportatio on & communicatio on, land & coastal management, H Health, Urban Plannin ng, Disaster risk management, and land & coastal management. The second day waas a wrap up day w with a Climate Change Hazards presentation b by Donovan Burto on. This gave a chaance for participant to again review R RMI’s situation. This discussion turn ned out pretty productive as participants beegan d debating the nee ed for a data committee to better coordinate RM MI’s efforts in achieving its SSNC obligations. As the day came to aan end, the workkshop concluded witth remarks from m Dr. Peter Urich an nd colleague (Do onovan Burton) remin nding everyone tthat
SimCLIM is aan “evolving to ool, changing as the science changes.”