‘Thankyou so much!’ says star of second Pacific climate animation (reggae parrot)
3 September 2013
The second of two animations integrating climate and disaster preparedness in the Pacific in an entertaining and accessible way is now available for download, along with a range of educational materials in Bislama – one of the languages of Vanuatu – and English and French.
The film, Cloud Nasara, centres on the impacts of El Niño and La Niña on Vanuatu and encourages people to take early action to prepare; the Vanuatu island group can be severely affected, experiencing very dry or wet conditions.
Along with other extreme events like cyclones, they have serious impacts on water quality, food security, homes and roads, livelihoods and health.
The 2010–11 La Niña, for example, is believed to have contributed to drought in Tuvalu and floods in Fiji, which the local Red Cross worked hard to alleviate.
Mythical village
Climate and weather information, warnings and forecasts “can help us anticipate and prepare for changing risks,” according to the Australian government’s Pacific climate change science website.
Cloud Nasara’s mythical story features a village meeting-place in the clouds, high above the Pacific, and a cast of characters that includes a reggae parrot and a string band.
It follows The Pacific Adventures of the Climate Crab, an animation that focused on regional issues, which premiered at the Pacific Meteorological Council in Fiji in July.
Preparedness measures can be simple and low cost: the danger of disease outbreaks increases during droughts, for example, so simple measures such as intensified hand-washing can help.
Water can be conserved as a contingency for droughts; trenches dug ahead of floods can improve drainage and avoid damage to houses and crops.
Both animations are the product of collaboration between the Australian government’s Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning Program and the Australian Red Cross.
The project was implemented by the Red Cross regionwide – National Societies, IFRC and Climate Centre – the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department, and the SPC-GIZ Climate Change Program.
A second animated film that integrates climate science and disaster preparedness encourages Pacific islanders to take early action in preparing for extreme-weather events and stars a reggae parrot. (Image from Cloud Nasara project)