Dr Awnesh Singh is a physical oceanographer whose interest focuses on understanding the dynamics of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. He is a graduate from the University of Toulouse, France and is currently a senior lecturer at the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) at The University of the South Pacific (USP) based in Fiji. He teaches postgraduate courses in climate science, meteorology, and oceanography, and is passionate about building capacity in the region. With over 20 years of experience working in the region in areas ranging from capacity building to scientific research, Dr Singh is well aware of the challenges faced by the region and works collaboratively towards finding solutions for the sustainable development of the Pacific Islands.