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Pacific Community recognised for geospatial innovation in disaster management

Monday, 24 October 2016 11:49
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Excellence Award

 

19 October 2016, Kuala Lumpur

The Pacific Community (SPC) has been bestowed the Asia Geospatial Excellence Award this week (17 October) by GeoSmart Asia for the application of geospatial technology in Disaster Management.

Accepting the award on behalf of the organisation at the GeoSmart Asia Conference in Kuala Lumpur, SPC Geoscience Division Director, Prof. Mike Petterson reiterated the importance of geospatial data and technologies to empower Pacific communities and decision makers in improving resilience to disaster and risk in the Pacific region.

Small Island Developing States in the Pacific region are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards due to their small land area in a region of ocean, and the presence of geotectonic environments that produce earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides. Meteorological and oceanic hazards such as cyclones, floods, and sea inundation in times of storm and high tide are ever present.

Recent disasters including Cyclones Winston and Pam in Fiji and Vanuatu, floods in Honiara and tsunamis in Samoa, and west and east Solomon Islands caused loss of life and homes and significant costs to national economies.

 

 

“I am very proud of this global recognition of the vital work the Pacific Community undertakes for disaster and risk. Geospatial technologies are playing an increasingly important role in early warning systems, assessment of post disaster damage and development of decision support systems that assist planners and national disaster management officers,” Pacific Community Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga said.

SPC has recently partnered with the World Bank and Digital Globe in applying geospatial data for hazard assessment and infrastructure risk and the use of satellite data in assessing risk and damage on the ground before and after disasters.

“The World Bank is working closely with the Pacific Community in bringing new innovative products and services to the Pacific region to better inform government and communities about the nature and impact of disasters, and quantifying risk, so that we can build safer communities and towns for the future,” Regional Coordinator for climate and disaster resilience for the World Bank Pacific, Denis Jordy, stated.

In congratulating SPC, the Ambassador of the European Union for the Pacific, H.E. Andrew Jacobs said, ''the European Union has been a long standing partner in disaster and risk and climate change. We have worked with the Pacific Community for decades assisting the regions national disaster management offices and their tremendous work in treating all aspects of disaster management. It is most heartening to see this work gaining recognition from experts in the wider world.”

Media contacts:

Sachindra Singh, Senior Geospatial Systems Architect, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or +679 338 1377

Wolf Forstreuter, SPC GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Useful links:

GeoSmart Asia 2016

Pacific GIS/RS Conference

Last Updated on Monday, 24 October 2016 11:57  

Newsflash

Tuesday 15 October 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Rarotonga, Cook Islands - The Office of the Prime Minister in Cook Islands called a special meeting of the National Platform for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management on Friday 4 October, 2013. The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate stakeholder input in Cook Islands for the proposed new regional strategy for disaster and climate resilient development in the Pacific (SRDP).

The development of the SRDP, referred to as 'the roadmap process’, is led by Pacific Island countries and territories. Stakeholder engagement is being sought throughout the Pacific region in a variety of forums. During the Cook Islands meeting participants had the opportunity to learn about the roadmap process and provide their suggestions concerning its development.

Teina Mackenzie is an Executive Board Member for the Te Ipukarea Society, an environmental NGO in Cook Islands. She says, ‘The most encouraging aspect of the recent meeting is that it seeks true engagement of stakeholders and the community at the outset of the proposed strategy.’