The Pacific Islands GCOS Program, based at the Secretariat of the Pacific Region Environmental Program (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa, has now been active in the islands since 2004. During the time, the program coordinator has acted as an interface between local, regional, and global meteorological and climatological programs.

The Pacific Islands GCOS Program is involved in a wide range of activities, from helping to improve basic instrumentation at local Meteorological Services, to helping to strength regional Meteorological and Hydrological Services. In 2008, the PI-GCOS program started collaboration with the PI-GOOS and Pacific HYCOS programs, sister observing programs in ocean and hydrological monitoring in the Pacific. Also in the last year, the PI-GCOS Coordinator assisted in a regional review of the sustainability of Pacific Island Meteorological Services for presentation to Pacific Island Leaders.

This presentation will give an overview of the accomplishments of the PI-GCOS program during its first 5 years, and discuss the challenges that Pacific Island Meteorological and Climatological Services still face.