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Kiribati Broadcasting Authority tests ability to deliver services in emergency

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6 March 2015 – Thirteen personnel from Kiribati’s Broadcasting and Publication Authority, Kiribati Red Cross Society, the Office of Te Beretitenti and Newspapers; Kiribati Independent, Kiribati Update and Kiribati Newstar have today tested their readiness to stay on air and provide vital public information during a major emergency or disaster.

The staff, including journalists, media technicians, and administrative staff participated in a table top exercise to test new Climate and Disaster Resilience Plans that they developed earlier this week through a two-day workshop led by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

National broadcasters play a pivotal role in providing public information and warnings about emergencies and disasters.

The Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan supports the ability of the Broadcasting and Publication Authority to perform its duties in the event of an emergency or disaster in Kiribati by setting out ways to increase the resilience of the authority’s infrastructure, operations and personnel.

It is part of an initiative funded by the Pacific Assistance Media Scheme (PACMAS) and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with SPC. Kiribati is among eight countries to benefit from this initiative.

Ueretan Bauro, Editor Te Uekera Newspaper participated in the workshop and commented that “the BPA participants were grateful for the opportunity to attend this workshop which they found to be very interesting as it highlighted the importance of resilience planning”. Mr Bauro added that he found “the content of the workshop to be very relevant to BPA and it has provided BPA with good ideas on how to better prepare before any disaster”.

The exercise provided an invaluable opportunity to practice emergency response procedures based on a simulated crisis situation and better prepare for future emergencies or disasters in Kiribati, a Pacific nation highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change.

This work is in line with several of the key strategies within the Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management.

To date vital Climate and Disaster Resilience Plans have been developed for broadcasters in Palau, Samoa and Tuvalu. Later this year broadcasters in the Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will complete their plans. Following this, all broadcasters will receive newsroom training to build their capacity to report on climate change and disaster risk management issues.

Media Contacts
SPC: Dr Kirstie Méheux, Senior Adviser, Disaster Risk Management Training and Professional Development, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SPREP: Ms. Nanette Woonton, Media and Public Relations Officer, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 March 2015 05:52  

Newsflash

With the International Seabed Authority (ISA) granting Nauru Ocean Resources Incorporation (NORI), a Nauru registered exploration company, the right to explore for deep seabed minerals in the International Seabed Area (known as “the Area”), the country becomes the first Pacific Island nation to have secured such a licence.

With limited seabed mineral resources inside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the licence gives NORI the right to explore an area beneath international waters, at estimated depths of 5000 metres.

NORI is owned by two Nauru foundations; the Nauru Health and Environment Foundation and the Nauru Education and Training Foundation. As a part of the licence application process, the ISA subjected the company to a rigorous screening of its history, financials and work practises.