Another month and unfortunately another major devastating event. We must all take a moment to remember those whose lives have been changed forever by the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged northeaster Japan earlier this month. The tragedy is quite immense and each day we hear and see stories that remind us of why we work in this area of disaster risk management.
In the region there have been a number of interesting developments as this issue of Snapshots will portray. In Papua New Guinea we’re into the home stretch in relation to a DRM Action Plan for Morobe Province. The work on this started last year and Waisale Naqiolevu, our man on the ground has an interesting piece on this.
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Snapshot 67 - Disaster Reduction Programme - March 2011
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12 APRIL 2011 NUKU’ALOFA (GOVERNMENT OF TONGA) - A Korean research vessel will carry out scientific studies on seabed minerals in Tongan waters over the next several months.
A fairly important development for Pacific islands mapping initiatives has occurred because of the results of the recently concluded European Space Agency GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) mission.
Pacific Island countries and territories are challenged by the necessity to update their maps to reflect the current day realities. “Countries are utilising several mapping systems, or projections, in parallel,” explained Dr Wolf Forstreuter, SOPAC’s Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist. SOPAC is the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).Newsflash
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The Pacific Regional Consultations on Water and Sanitation are being held at the Tanoa International Hotel, Monday 01-03 July 2013. Countries will be discussing how to progress action on the recent Statement by Pacific Heads of State and Heads of Delegations participating in the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 19-20 May, 2013. Michael Pettersen, Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC), says the Chiang Mai Statement highlights the concern of Pacific Leaders that the whole Pacific region is struggling to meet its Millennium Development Goals relating to water and sanitation. “This Statement recognises that sustainable water supply and safe sanitation underpins the very feasibility of Pacific Island Countries. It is clear that national and international development goals are unlikely to be met without increased advocacy and financial support for water and sanitation, which will require renewed leadership and investment at the national, regional and international level,” he says. Mr. Pettersen noted that efforts to improve water and sanitation in the Pacific region are not keeping up with the significant and growing impacts of population growth, urbanization, natural disasters and climate change. “This weeks’ consultation meeting is designed to help Pacific Island Countries support the development of a revised framework for Water and Sanitation for the region building on work already established through the Pacific Regional Action Plan on Sustainable Water Management which has been in place for the last ten years. |
