Voices from CariCOF: Dry Season 2015-16

The Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum, also known as CariCOF, brings together climate scientists and meteorologists with decision-makers who may be able to use climate information. During the meeting, now held twice a year — once at the beginning of the dry season and once at the beginning of the wet season — the scientists present forecasts to experts in climate-sensitive sectors such as health, agriculture and water resources. The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology organizes the event.

A new multimedia feature story from IRI highlights the Dry Season 2015-16 CariCOF, held in the height of the recent El Niño event. El Niño typically reduces the odds of precipitation for much of the eastern and southern Caribbean. In fifteen videos featuring organizers and participants of the event, people explain why the forecasts are important, the value of bringing together scientists and decision makers, recent innovations in forecasting and communication of forecasts and the unique challenges of drought in the Caribbean, among other topics.

CariCOF is one of many regional Climate Outlook Forums held around the world. The forecasts presented at COFs are usually seasonal forecasts for precipitation, though some regions present forecasts at other timescales, and some regions include other forecast products like temperature and outlooks for drought or food security.

The Dry Season 2015-16 CariCOF was held in St. Kitts in late November 2015, in the height of the 2015-16 El Niño event. It was sponsored in part by the Programme for Building Regional Climate Capacity in the Caribbean (BRCCC Programme), a three-year project made possible in part by the United States Agency for International Development. Other sponsors included Environment Canada and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Previous CariCOF coverage:

Wet season CariCOF 2015: Minds on the Information Gap: Climate in the Caribbean

Dry season CariCOF 2014-15: One Size Fits None: Drought forecasting in the Caribbean

Wet season CariCOF 2014: Live from Kingston: It’s CariCOF | Videos 

May 2014: Q&A – Why care about CariCOF?