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Disaster Reduction Programme

Tuesday, 30 March 2010 10:44 administrator
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The Disaster Reduction Programme (DRP) provides technical and policy advice and support to strengthen disaster risk management practices in Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The Programme carries out this responsibility in coordination and collaboration with other technical programme areas within SOPAC and also with a range of regional and international development partners and donors.

The overarching policy guidance for DRP is the Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action 2005-2015 (Pacific DRR and DM Framework for Action) which supports and advocates for the building of safer and more resilient communities to disasters. The Pacific DRR and DM Framework for Action was approved by Pacific leaders in 2005. It is linked to the global Hyogo Framework for Action 2005 – 2015 which was endorsed by World leaders following the Second World Conference on Disaster Reduction in January 2005.

The other significant regional policy instruments that help to guide the efforts of the DRP are the Pacific Plan and the Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change 2006 – 2015.

View DRP Profile

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 September 2013 18:19  


Newsflash

Nukualofa, Friday 16 March 2012: How exactly will climate change impact the lives of people living on small islands and what can be done to adapt to those impacts? On Lifuka Island in Tonga’s Ha’apai group, a project to find answers to this question is underway. The answer could help people around the Pacific and the world prepare  for, and adapt to, climate change.

The project is part of the Pacific Adaptation Strategy Assistance Program (PASAP) and aims to assess the vulnerability and adaptation to sea level rise in Lifuka. It is being run by the Government of Tonga with the assistance of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT).

Fuka Kitekei’aho, National Coordinator for PASAP, said that Lifuka was chosen because it had already experienced sea level rise as a result of an earthquake in May 2006.

“The earthquake measured approximately 7.9 on the Richter scale and resulted in subsidence of 23 cm of the western side of Lifuka Island,” Mr Kitekei’aho said. “In the past four years, the island has experienced significant coastal erosion over a three kilometre section of the coastline, including where the harbour, homes, and hospital are located.”