The WCRP Academy Support Unit celebrated its official launch at the Manila Observatory (MO) on 7 October 2024, making history as the first of its kind within the Programme and the first WCRP support office located in the Global South.
Images: Bern, Manila Observatory.
In his opening address Fr Jose Ramon T. Villarin SJ, Executive Director of the Manila Observatory, spoke of the significance of hosting the Academy in Manila, which is at the forefront of a lot of the impacts of climate change. Fr Villarin quoted the words of WCRP Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) Chair Detlef Stammer in his opening address, noting that the Academy is crucial to promoting “climate science training activities around the world, especially in the Global South.” The Manila Observatory has at its heart an emphasis on sustainability and transdisciplinary research, with the understanding that science alone is not enough – there is a need to translate science into action. This, he shared, is why the work of the Manila Observatory is so well aligned with the mission of the WCRP Academy.
The opening address was followed by a talk by Dr. Antonio Gabriel M. La Viña (Associate Director for Climate Policy and International Relations, MO), who discussed the link between science and climate negotiations, Dr. Narelle van der Wel (WCRP Secretariat), who gave an overview of WCRP, Drs Melissa Hart and Christopher Lennard (Chairs, WCRP Academy), who talked about the work of the WCRP Academy, and Dr. Ma Laurice Jamero (Manager, WCRP Academy Support Unit), who discussed the work of the Support Unit.
Members of the WCRP Academy Scientific Steering Group also met with members of the Manila Observatory and Ateneo de Manila University (including members of the WCRP My Climate Risk Ateneo de Manila University Hub and the Ateneo Physics Department), paid visits to the Regional Climate Systems and Geomatics for Environment and Development Laboratories and met with student groups interested in pursuing careers related to climate science. The WCRP Academy Scientific Steering Group and Support Unit then traveled to the Philippine island of Bohol to hold their annual planning meeting from 9-11 October 2024.
The WCRP Academy leadership and support unit staff met on the Philippine island of Bohol to hold their annual planning meeting.