A look back at the CLIPSSA week “Understanding, popularizing and communicating on climate change”

A major event to bring together every stakeholders

On the occasion of the scientific and technical workshop “Understanding, popularizing and communicating on climate change”, CLIPSSA brought together numerous stakeholders during the week of March 21-27, 2025, at the IRD center in Nouméa and the South Pacific Community (SPC).

IRD, Météo-France and Agence française de développement, in partnership with the New Caledonian Agronomic Institute (IAC) and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), were on hand to welcome the French Polynesia Department of Agriculture, the Wallis and Futuna Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, as well as Vanuatu’s National Advisory Board (NAB), Ministry of Agriculture and Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD), but also, for New Caledonia, Jérémie Katidjo Monnier’s office, the North Province, the South Province, the Islands Province, the Department of Veterinary, Food and Rural Affairs (DAVAR), the Chamber of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Department of Health and Social Affairs (DASS), ADECAL Technopole, Data Terra Océanie, Bio eKo consultants, and the Institut Agronomique Calédonien (IAC).

Group photo of participants, March 25, 2025, © IRD – Jean-Michel Boré

CLIPSSA team, March 21, 2025, © IRD – Pascal Dumas

Unprecedented data were presented, enabling scientists, public policy-makers and the general public to co-construct solutions to climate change in the Pacific.

Scientific discussions fostering cohesion and synergy

During the scientific days held on Friday, March 21 and Monday, March 24 at the IRD center in Nouméa, researchers in climate sciences and human and social sciences gathered to present their progress and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.

IRD Science Days, March 21 and 24, 2025, © IRD – Jean-Michel Boré

The CLIPSSA scientific community shared its work as well as questions related to the project’s core themes. Guests attended presentations by postdoctoral researchers, engineers, and scientists working on climate simulations, explaining the models used (ALADIN, with 20 km resolution, and AROME, with 2.5 km resolution), as well as future climate trends and their impacts on agriculture and water resource management across the four territories involved: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia.

Collaborative workshops to support public policy

CLIPSSA brought together stakeholders from the four territories to allow the scientific community and public policy actors to share climate change adaptation goals, emerging needs, and align on possible solutions. The customary area of Drubea-Kapumë and Jérémie Katidjo Monnier opened these collaborative days with a customary ceremony on Tuesday morning. The government member responsible for ecological transition then delivered a welcome address, followed by the Director of Agence française de développement (AFD) in New Caledonia, Thomas de Gubernatis, and CLIPSSA’s scientific coordinators, Christophe Menkès and Catherine Sabinot.

Custom and collaborative workshops at SPC, March 25 and 26, 2025, © IRD – Jean-Michel Boré

INRAE supported the CLIPSSA team in collectively modeling decision-making and action processes at the levels of farmers, agricultural collectives, and relevant institutions, across multiple time scales and in the four target territories. The aim was to explore stakeholders’ vulnerabilities and adaptation pathways, and to reassess their needs. Based on these reassessed needs and the challenges posed by future vulnerabilities, the project’s scientific outputs were discussed and will be adapted accordingly. These collaborative workshops helped lay the groundwork for supporting the planning of adaptation strategies by public authorities and local stakeholders in the four territories.

Pacific in transition: perspectives on climate

In a bid to make science accessible to the wider public, CLIPSSA organized a public outreach evening on Wednesday, March 26, with the support of the South Pacific Community (SPC). From young Caledonians to scientists, from illustration to documentary, various perspectives and testimonies came together around the impacts of climate change in Pacific territories.

Scientific outreach evening at CPS, March 26, 2025, © IRD – Jean-Michel Boré

Researchers and PhD students in human and social sciences (Maya Leclercq, anthropologist at IRD; Samson Jean Marie, PhD student in anthropology and geography at the Pacific Doctoral School of the University of New Caledonia and IRD) and researchers and engineers in climate sciences (Dakéga Ragatoa, climate/agriculture/water nexus modeler; Jérémy Guerbette, research engineer at the Interregional Directorate of Météo-France in French Polynesia) presented their findings. Over 120 people gathered to hear these speakers, as well as powerful speeches from Georgina Sioremu, Bachelor student in graphic and web design at the École du Design in Nouméa, and Dylan Leconte, preparatory student (CPGE ECG) at Dick Ukeiwe High School. A dedicated article will be available soon on the News page.

Watch the whole evening below.

Video recording of the evening, March 26, 2025, © AK studios

The CLIPSSA Steering Committee

To close the event, institutional and technical focal points, project partners, and the scientific community came together for a steering committee meeting. This final morning was dedicated to reviewing progress made in 2024, addressing challenges faced, summarizing initial scientific results and dissemination methods, and outlining the outlook for 2026.

Media presence

Throughout this busy week, CLIPSSA increased its media visibility through interviews given by project researchers, including Christophe Menkès and Gildas Guidiguan on Djiido radio, and Jérémy Guerbette on Caledonia TV. The full press review is available in the Documentation section and at the bottom of this page.

C’nature Conference: What Future Climate for New Caledonia?

The project’s researchers continued engaging with the general public during the C’nature conference on Thursday, April 1, 2025, held at the South Province Auditorium and organized by CRESICA.

Christophe Menkès at the C’Nature Conference, April 1, 2025

Climate scientist and project co-lead Christophe Menkès and meteorologist and climate manager Alexandre Peltier presented the climate models and simulation methods used within the CLIPSSA project, as well as the different temperature increase scenarios for the future. A dedicated article will be available soon on the News page.

Watch the whole conference below.

To learn more:

Check out the full press review here or in the Documentation section
Rewatch the Pacific in transition evening
Rewatch the C’ntaure conference