APEC Climate Center (APCC) held the APEC Climate Symposium 2018 (APCS 2018) from 21st to 23rd Aug. 2018 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) on the topic of Overcoming the Challenge of an Uncertain Future with Enhanced Climate Information and Services. This symposium was co-hosted with the Ministry of Environment & Conservation and Climate Change of PNG, the PNG National Weather Service, and the Central Weather Bureau of Chinese Taipei.

This symposium was held to promote the sharing of the latest results and technical information on the production and utilization of climate information, and to encourage the exchange of opinion on various measures to utilize climate information in the fields of agriculture and water resources.

In the opening ceremony for APCS 2018, Prof. Dongin Lee, Chairman of Board of Trustees of APCC gave the opening remarks. Hon. John Thomas Pundari, the Minister of Environment & Conservation and Climate Change of PNG, offered the welcome remarks. Both Amb. Issac Lupari, the Chief Secretary to PNG Government, Department of Prime Minister & National Executive Council, and Dr. Tien-Chiange Yeh, the Director-General of Central Weather Bureau of Chinese Taipei gave the congratulatory address.

After the opening ceremony, Mr. Edward Vrkic, Senior Advisor for Climate Change, United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and Prof. Mark Howden, from Australian National University presented the keynote speeches for APCS 2018. Mr. Edward Vrkic gave the speech with the title of “Is it time to think about climate change as weathernomics?” and Prof. Mark Howden offered the speech with the title of climate change: connecting knowledge and action.

The speakers introduced the cases of successfully utilizing climate prediction information in the climate information application sectors, and the efforts to incorporate climate information to decision making processes.

APCS 2018 consisted of 4 sessions. The first session was held with the title of enhancing climate information applications. The title of the second session was improving water and food security with climate information and services. The third session was held with the title of linking climate information and decision making. Wrap-up and discussion was held in the final session.

APCC has organized the annual APCS to facilitate knowledge exchange on the latest climate prediction techniques in the region and beyond. APCS also builds capacity for climate adaptation and provides venue for the interaction of the world’s leading scientists, researchers. meteorological services, decision makers. and other stake-holders. Themes related to climate prediction and its applications are developed each year which guide the organized sessions and presentations.