Development and implementation of a climate data management system for western Pacific small island developing states

This study describes the development and deployment of a new climate data management system aimed at improving climate data management and associated climate services in Pacific island countries and East Timor. The system is called Climate Data for the Environment (CliDE). Installed locally, it provides each country with a central relational database and web-based user interface that includes customizable key entry forms, quality control tools, station maintenance forms, meteorological and climate reports, and data file extracts. It has been deployed as free and open source software in 15 countries (East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Niue and Cook Islands). In developing CliDE, the project team sought to develop a database capable of providing a robust method of managing an individual country's meteorological observations from networks typically consisting of several to hundreds of stations. In many Pacific countries significant data remain only in paper form; therefore, a key consideration was in providing a secure and efficient means for digitizing paper records. As CliDE has developed, it has become the central hub of a multitude of climate and meteorological services of benefit to small national meteorological services, such as statistical reports, graphical analyses, data extractions, climate summaries, and products that can provide input to public works planning, agriculture and health sectors. It has helped improve significantly the work flow, data integrity and consistency beyond previous practices in the western Pacific.