MARCH 19-21, 2003
20TH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS
BANGKOK, THAILAND

WELCOME to the website for the March 2003 Symposium on Climate and Extreme Events in the Asia-Pacific: Enhancing Resilience and Improving Decision-Making. The Symposium was co-organized by the East-West Center (EWC) and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Principal support for the Symposium came from the Office of Global Programs of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DG133R-02-0788) with additional support from the United Nations Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery, U.S. AID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, ADPC and EWC. The Symposium was organized as part of the 20th Pacific Science Congress that was held in Bangkok, Thailand the week of March 17-21, 2003.

The two-and-one-half (2 ½) day Symposium was organized to facilitate the sharing of individual experiences and discussion of integrating themes that provided a framework for comparing individual programs and identifying common problems and opportunities. Individual presentations, small-group discussions and plenary deliberations addressed the following integrating themes:

· Communication issues related to information content, format and dissemination as well as the identification of critical information gaps based on past experience;
· Participation issues related to effective engagement of relevant stakeholders and establishing an effective, interactive dialogue with users of climate information;
· Information use issues related to how climate information has been and can be used to support decision-making including discussions related to responding to individual events and the routine integration of climate information in development and planning in the region;
· Institutional capacity issues which include discussion of institutional barriers as well as opportunities to enhance the capabilities of current or emerging boundary organizations in the Asia-Pacific region; and
· Scientific and technical issues with particular attention to identify critical information gaps and future priorities.

Participants from throughout the Pacific and S.E. Asia were able to collectively review the insights being gained from their individual efforts and develop a shared vision for the future. A final Symposium Report is being prepared and is expected to be available in May 2003.

This website currently provides access to the following materials:

· A Background Paper provided to Symposium participants;
· Symposium Agenda;
· The Symposium Chair's Opening Remarks and charge to participants;
· Welcoming Remarks from Dr. Pachauri, Chairman, IPCC
· Opening Keynote presentation entitled "Problem Climates or Problem Societies" delivered by Mickey Glantz, National Center for Atmospheric Research ;
· Individual presentations organized in the context of the Symposium Sessions on National Experiences, Sectoral Experiences and Integrating Themes;
· The Symposium Chair's Summary of some Shared Lessons from the first day's presentations;
· Synthesis Reports summarizing the results of four small working-group discussions organized around the Symposium's integrating themes;
· Closing Keynote presentation from Thomas Brennan, UN Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery;
· A set of Guiding Principles for future climate risk management activities in the Asia-Pacific summarized by the Symposium Chair based on Symposium deliberations; and
· An overview of Next Steps.

A final Participant List and Symposium report will be added as they become available.

I hope that you will find these materials useful in your own work and I look forward to future collaboration on this important topic. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me by clicking on my name below. Thank you.

Eileen L. Shea
Symposium Co-Chair and
Climate Projects Coordinator, East-West Center

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