The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Vitetnam Television (VTV), and Climate Central organized a workshop for Asian weather presenters to talk about climate change and how they can be instruments in communicating it to the public. With the theme “Hanoi Workshop for Weather Presenters: Communicating the Science of Climate Change” began on September 29, 2015 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

This article talks about the firsthand experience of Panahon TV’s resident “Weather Lover” Amor Larrosa in being a workshop participant.

When I first found out that I will be representing Panahon TV in this workshop, I was hesitant at first, since it would be my first time to travel abroad. Later on, I realized how blessed I was to have the chance to interact and learn with other weather presenters from different parts of Asia.

I arrived in Hanoi at around 3 PM on Monday. On my way to the hotel, I noticed that there are lots of motorcycles in Hanoi, the province’s dominant mode of transportation.

We had our first dinner in Quang Ngon Restaurant, where I ate a lot of spring rolls and a taste of local beer. I had a great time on my first night in Vietnam, not only because of the food, but also because of the company as I had already met my co-participants.

The next day, the workshop started with a tour of Vietnam Television. I was amazed with one of their studios which was considered to be one of the biggest studios in Asia. It was multi-functional so it was able accommodate big events, such as fashion shows, concerts and many more.

On Tuesday morning, the workshop began with opening remarks given by Ho Kien, the chief of international relations of VTV. This was followed by an introduction from Michael Williams, the Chief of Communications and Public Affairs of WMO.

To get to know each other, participants were asked to introduce themselves. I talked about myself, including my work and experiences. It was nice to see them smile when I mentioned my TV monicker “Weather Lover”.

This icebreaker was followed by presentations about the physical science basis of climate change. Prof. Edvin Aldrian of the IPCC began by saying that the future of climate change depends on our ability to decouple future emissions brought by two factors: population and economic growth. Our goal is to reduce the emission.

Prof. Aldrian explained the difference between adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation is about coping with the effect and managing the unavoidable, while mitigation is coping with the cause and avoiding the unmanageable. He also mentioned that the El Niño was becoming more frequent and more intense now.

Meanwhile, Phan Van Tan, who is a meteorologist in Vietnam, talked about the climate change in their country. He said that temperatures tend to increase with the periodic variability. He added that the annual rainfall in the northern part of Vietnam had slowly decreased. Through the years, the number of cool days also decreased, resulting in more days that were warm.

Dr. Rosa Perez, one of the Filipino experts when it comes to climate change, shared our experiences in the Philippines. She highlighted the impact of typhoon “Yolanda” and the role of the media in providing the information to the public. Dr. Perez also explained our techniques on risk assessment and climate change impact and adaptation.

A senior lecturer in Vietnam National University , Do Minh Duc, presented climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. He also discussed the traditional knowledge as a way of enhancing local awareness on climate change.

Mai Trong Nhuan, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Panel on Climate Change, talked about the greenhouse gases and their relation to climate change. He explained that with the increasing presence of these gases, temperatures rise, creating global warming. He added that building a low-carbon society was an effective way for climate change mitigation.

After the workshop, we ate seafood dinner in a cruise. We were also entertained by song and dance numbers from Vietnamese performers. I learned that Vietnamese love karaoke just like the Filipinos.

Day 1 was very informative and enjoyable. The knowledge that I gained from this experience will certainly be beneficial for me as a weather presenter. We may belong to different countries, but we only have one goal: to be able to communicate climate change in the simplest yet most effective way.