Jakarta, Indonesia - On Monday (10/7), the Ministry of State Secretariat (Kemensetneg) and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), in collaboration with the Colombo Plan Secretariat (CP), launched the "Blended Training of Trainers on Climate Field School 2023" in Jakarta. This international training was attended by 19 individuals from 9 countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste) and focused on understanding and applying climate information to support food security.

Through her remarks, Noviyanti, Head of the Foreign Technical Cooperation Bureau (KTLN) of the Ministry of State Secretariat, expressed her hope that this programme will enable participants to improve agricultural quality by enhancing the capacity of farmers in their respective countries through the use of weather and climate information to foster food security.

The Head of BMKG, Dwikorita Karnawati, stressed the detrimental effects of climate change and rising global temperatures on the agriculture sector by highlighting the increased danger of hydrological catastrophes. According to Dwikorita, the goal of this training activity was to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge between countries to better equip the agricultural sector to deal with the effects of climate change and the food crisis.

This training programme incorporates synchronous and asynchronous methods by utilising online learning activities via Zoom and the BMKG's learning management system (LMS), as well as offline classes and field practise in Citeko, West Java. The implementation of various types of learning systems is anticipated to optimise the delivery of content and assist participants in developing action plans on programmes to empower and enhance the capacity of agricultural actors, including farmers, to adapt to extreme weather and climate conditions resulting from rising global temperatures.