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Pacific Disaster Net provides daily updates in wake of cyclone Pam

Thursday, 19 March 2015 15:00 administrator
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18 March 2015, Suva - The Pacific’s largest and most comprehensive information management resource on disaster risk management and national sustainable development has commenced daily email updates in the wake of cyclone Pam.

Anyone wanting to subscribe to the Pacific Disaster Net service can do so online at http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/pdn. The portal is updated daily by a dedicated team at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Suva, Fiji, on behalf of an international partnership initiative.

“The main target audiences for Pacific Disaster Net are National Disaster Management Officers, government officials, emergency responders and communities to help them prepare for, and manage, natural disasters in the Pacific Islands region,” the Director of SPC's Geoscience Division, Professor Michael Petterson, said in Suva today.

“With more than 15,000 documents and materials, the portal facilitates informed decision-making and really comes into its own in the wake of significant disaster events,” Prof Petterson said.

According to Prof Petterson, the portal contains extensive information on cyclone Pam and other disasters, such as situation reports, response updates from international partners, various agencies on the ground and media coverage that has been compiled by the team in Suva.

The Pacific Disaster Net portal is developed with support from partners, such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the UN Development Programme Pacific Centre (UNDP PC), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

The information usually comes in the form of weekly updates and a monthly disaster risk management calendar for the Pacific region, but for now a temporary daily update is also available.

It is part of a comprehensive response by SPC and its partners designed to support Pacific Community members impacted by cyclone Pam. Anyone who wishes to view information in the portal can do so online at www.pacificdisaster.net.

 

Media contact: Sereima Kalouniviti, Researcher – Pacific Disaster Net, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or +679 3381 377

Last Updated on Thursday, 19 March 2015 15:04  

Newsflash

The Pacific region is known to be one of the areas of the planet that is most exposed to disaster hazards and now must also cope with more frequent and more intense climate change events. Regular occurrences such as flooding, cyclones and drought are being amplified by the effects of climate change.

The Honourable Henry Puna, the Prime Minister of Cook Islands, has graced the opening. He spoke about his pleasure at having been invited to the STAR meeting and the annual meeting of the SPC’s Applied Geoscience and Technology division here in Noumea. Since the start of the SOPAC, Cook Islands has benefited from its services as a member, and the country has had the pleasure of hosting its annual meeting three times. The Prime Minister who was invited also in his capacity as the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum thanked Dr. Russell Howorth for his outstanding services to the region and to the SOPAC division.