In 1998, El Niño was just beginning to be understood by a small group of scientists in the Asian region. They recognized that disasters related to climate phenomena was wreaking havoc on people's lives, their economies, and the development of their countries. With the assistance of OFDA and NOAA, ADPC set out to closely examine how climate, specifically El Niño and La Niña interact with the local climate. ADPC and its partners in Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam researched this issue for almost two years to enhance understanding.

The first phase of ECE had three main objectives. The first objective was to compile the wealth of information that already existed at the national level and to document it, so that the scientific community and decision makers could access it readily. This information includes time series forecasts, impacts on society, institutional responses, and policy frameworks related to extreme climate events in each country. The second objective was to draw upon national and international forecasting experts to identify indicators of impending extreme climate events. These indicators would help to develop a predictive capability at the national level, which would greatly reduce the risk of disasters. The final objective was to provide an interface between the scientific community of climate information producers and the users of this information, such as national governments, NGOs, and press bureaus.

Following ECE’s launch, national start-up workshops were conducted with representatives from several government agencies, including meteorology, disaster management, agriculture, health, forestry, and other climate-sensitive sectors. Since climate issues require linkages across disciplines, ADPC and its partners encouraged participation from a wide range of sectors in all of ECE’s activities. During the period of implementation from 1999-2001, inter-disciplinary teams worked together to undertake quick assessment studies, with technical advice from ADPC staff. These studies examined data from the past 30-40 years of extreme climate events such as El Niño and La Niña. They also examined the impacts on society, enabling ECE to create a general map of vulnerability that includes risks to housing, rice crops, public health, timber, etc.

Please follow the links below to learn more about the events and specific acitivities with our partners countries during ECE Phase I: