26th-30th June 2023, Barbados - CIMH Press Release

On June 26, experts from 15 Caribbean countries gathered at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology in Barbados, to take part in a 5-day Statistics in Applied Climatology Regional Training Workshop.

The workshop, an initiative of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology in partnership with the European Union (EU), University of Reading, and Innovations in Development, Education and the Mathematical Sciences (IDEMs), will enhance the capacity of National Hydrometeorological Services (NHMSs) to prepare, analyze, and interpret data to support the development of statistical and climatological information in their respective countries.

Based on the Statistics in Applied Climatology (SAC) programme first introduced in the Caribbean in the late 1980s, the R-INSTAT programme developed by IDEMS provides workshop participants with an easy-to-use statistics software that is open source, and promotes the utilization of good statistical practices. Participants will learn to prepare high-quality data sets for climate analyses, present basic statistical analyses in describing their national data, produce climate-related summaries and descriptions of data, and prepare tailored climate products. They will also learn to incorporate and analyze other data elements and sources of data such as wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and remote sources of data such as satellite and reanalysis data.

During the workshop’s opening ceremony, Dr. David Farrell, Principal of the CIMH, praised the programme as a necessary step towards the development of sustainable and effective climate services in the Caribbean. He noted "By enhancing the capacity of our regional experts to analyze and interpret climatological data, we are better equipped to create actionable climate information for key climate sensitive sectors such as the agriculture and food security, water, and health sectors." Dr. Farrell also thanked the EU for its support of the ClimSA programme in the Caribbean.

Head of the European Delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska emphasized the EU’s commitment to supporting the development of sustainable climate services in the Caribbean.

The Ambassador further emphasized that the training comes at the start of the hurricane season, and the timing and the recent passing of Tropical Storm Bret highlights the importance of accessing, analyzing, and managing climate data and synthesizing it in a way that multiple groups, each with their own interests can plan and adapt in the face of a changing climate.

Dr. Roger Stern, Senior Statistician, of IDEMS and the University of Reading expressed excitement about the workshop and the opportunity to work with regional experts in the Caribbean as they are introduced to the new R-Instat software.

By providing regional experts with the necessary knowledge to analyze and interpret climatological data, Caribbean countries can better plan for and respond to adverse climate conditions, ultimately promoting both environmental and economic sustainability in the region. Therefore, the Statistics in Applied Climatology – R-INSTAT Regional Training Workshop represents a significant step forward in the development of sustainable climate services in the Caribbean.

The Statistics in Applied Climatology – R-INSTAT Regional Training Workshop is one of several regional initiatives supported by the European Union, through the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Caribbean Programme. Through these initiatives, the programme seeks to enhance the use of climate information, services, and applications in key climate sensitive sectors, including agriculture, water, and health, to support climate-resilient development.

 

Support for the Intra-ACP ClimSA Caribbean Programme is provided by the global Intra-ACP ClimSA Programme, an initiative funded by the European Union (EU). The programme aims to improve the production, access to and use of climate information, services, and applications to support evidence-based decision-making across African, Caribbean, and Pacific States.