SPC Geoscience Division

Pacific Island countries are amongst the most disaster prone in the region, exposed to natural hazards such as floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, which all pose a significant challenge to development in the Pacific region. A single disaster event can result in losses in the millions of dollars and can undo progress in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and education.

Despite recognition of the importance of disaster resilient approaches to development, many countries face challenges in identifying ways to effectively mainstream risk reduction considerations into national development planning processes. To address this, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, in partnership with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre is holding a one week training workshop which focusses on how to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction into development.

The training, in Nadi from 14-18th July, includes participants from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu with representatives of National Disaster Management Offices and ministries responsible for national planning and finance. Representatives from the Pacific islands Forum Secretariat, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and United Nations Development Programme will also participate in the training workshop.

Secretariat of the Pacific Community's (SPC) Applied Geoscience and Technology Division through the Disaster Reduction Programme is committed to working with officials and communities around the Pacific to strengthen the ability of countries to protect people as much as possible from the impact of natural and manmade disasters.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Assessing the damage after floods in the Solomon Islands

2. Tropical Cyclone Ian hits Tonga

• Increased interoperability between emergency response agencies
• Post Tropical Cyclone Ian in Tonga

3. Formal consultation wraps up on the Strategy for Climate and Disaster Resilient Development in the Pacific

4. Pacific Disaster Management Meetings a Success

Tuesday, 24 June 2014, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva - A broad range of geospatial data experts, managers and stakeholders from the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP), as well as partner agencies convened for the 2nd CROP Spatial Data Infrastructure meeting. The session was held at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Suva on June 17th to 18th 2014.

The meeting was opened by Prof Michael Petterson, Director of SPC’s Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (AGTD), where he highlighted the various challenges facing effective geospatial data management in the Pacific. Such challenges cited were under-skilled staff, limited understanding by responsible personnel of available datasets, and obsolete formats of residing data. He encouraged the meeting to bring about some positive outcomes to address these and the many other challenges.

Monday 2nd June 2014, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) – Suva, Fiji - Co-convened by the Secretariat of Pacific Community (SPC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the 6th Session of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management officially opened today, Monday 2nd June at Hotel Novotel in Lami Bay, Fiji.

Opened by Lieutenant Colonel Inia Seruiratu, Fiji's Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests – the 6th Pacific Platform provides the region with a pivotal opportunity to shape disaster risk and climate change efforts for the next 20 years and beyond.

It will seek to gain support for the draft Strategy for Climate and Disaster Resilient Development in the Pacific (SRDP) and the development of the Post - 2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.

With the development of the SRDP, the Pacific is globally leading the way as the first region in the world to develop a regional strategy that integrates climate change and disaster risk management, while also nesting these priorities within the context of resilient development.