Allan Rarai

I am pursuing a PhD in Environmental Management at USP and boast two decades of experience working at the Vanuatu Meteorology & Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD). Previously, I held the significant position of Climate Services Manager at the department, specializing in weather, climate variability, change, and weather data collection and observations.

I have held various other positions throughout my career, including acting director at the Vanuatu Meteorology & Geo-Hazards Department. Furthermore, I have served as the vice-chair of the Pacific Island Climate Service Panel (PICS) from 2019-2022, an advisory body to the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC). I am also the Vanuatu Focal Point of the Climate Services Information System to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). I have been Vanuatu's Focal Point to IPCC IN 2022.

In addition, my published paper, "Making sense of life with the weather: empirical evidence of Indigenous climate adaptation from Northern Pentecost, Vanuatu," is based on my Master of Science (MSc) thesis from the University of Auckland in 2018. I have also worked on numerous research projects related to Traditional Knowledge research on weather and climate, such as the Vanuatu Climate Resilience Project, Climate Change Resilience & Innovation in the Pacific Project, and Climate Watch Vanuatu project.

My research interests are in indigenous people's perception and response to climate change, the interaction of different knowledge systems (western scientific, indigenous, and local knowledge), and Climate Risk Management Policies and Plans.