Tailored System of Climate Services for Agriculture (OSCAR)

OSCAR is a new agro-meteorological information system that VanKIRAP partner, the APEC Climate Centre (APCC), has been developing with the assistance of the Vanuatu Meteorological and Geohazards Department (VMGD), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and farmers from across the country. The OSCAR system uses a combination of computer climate models and locally-recorded climate data to generate agro-meteorological bulletins (‘agromet’ bulletins for short), and assessments of the local climate and how climate conditions are likely to affect crop yields throughout the country.  OSCAR gives DARD field extension officers and individual farmers access to a tailored climate information-based decision support and extreme climate early warning system.  It allows DARD and farmers alike to make informed decisions about crop planting, based on what is happening in the climate at the local level. OSCAR is available as web application and will soon be part of the VMGD website.  Additionally, the agromet bulletins will be disseminated via email, social media, national television and radio, in print, and through VanKIRAP’s network of community climate centres. All print and online versions will also be available in Bislama soon. The program for the official ceremony is available below. Accessing OSCAR online  Please open a web browser on your mobile phone (with internet access), and enter the following URL: http://oscar.gov.vu/lite/mobile.do  Users can switch between the OSCAR 'lite' version, designed for low internet bandwidth areas and the 'full' mode with high resolution graphics. Press the 'lite' button on the top left corner to switch between the two modes.