SPC Geoscience Division

Pacific Island delegates told participants attending the Third Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction that their countries and territories remain highly disaster prone and that the region is threatened by a variety of natural hazards of geological and meteorological origin, according to Dr. Russell Howorth, Director SOPAC, a division of SPC.Dr. Howorth was part of the Pacific delegation included in the 2,700 representatives from 168 governments who attended the conference convened by the UN International Secretariat for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) in Geneva 9-13 May.

UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, who was the keynote speaker, noted that the aim of the conference was to reduce disaster risk through technology, knowledge and economic tools, and called for accelerating efforts in building resilience and a coalition of action for disaster risk reduction.

A major project to address legislative, regulatory, capacity requirements and environmental issues pertaining to deep sea mineral mining for countries in the Pacific region will be launched at a three-day workshop from June 6 through June 8 in Nadi.

The Deep Sea Minerals Project, administered by SOPAC, a division of SPC, and funded by EU, is to develop a legislative and regulatory framework for deep-sea mineral mining over a four-year period.

“This will help ensure that sustainable resource management would bring tangible benefits to Pacific Island Countries and their people”, said Akuila Tawake, Deep Sea Minerals Project Team Leader.