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Mataniko Bridge (yellow star) after April flooding and before
From the managers desk
Mosese Sikivou
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Snapshots is Back!
We’re glad to be able to bring back Snapshots from a temporary state of suspended
animation and to share with you some of the exciting happenings that the Secretariat of
Pacific Community's (SPC) Disaster Reduction Programme (DRP) has been involved with
over the last nine months. This is not an exhaustive account of the work done to date. Not
at all...but there’s only so much you can squeeze into one edition.
Some of the significant happenings during Snapshots’ downtime: the commencement
of the ACP-EU Project funded under the 10th European Development Fund which has
brought about €20 million to the region to assist in the work on Disaster Risk Management; the formulation
of the draft Strategy for Climate and Disaster Resilient Development in the Pacific; and the conduct of the 6th
Session of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management and 20th Regional Disaster Managers Meeting
which saw nearly 300 people converge on Suva from around the region to share experiences and help shape
future strategy for DRM and Climate Change at the regional and global level.
Our human face – SPC DRP has, unfortunately, parted ways with a number of staff towards the end of last year
and over the early part of this year. These staff have contributed so much to our work and to defining what we
are all about. Gone on to other pursuits are Stephanie Zoll, George Beck, John Tagiilima, Frederique Lehoux,
Susan Vocea, Amrit Raj, Asinate Nawamea, Angeleeta Devi and Isimeli Koroi. We miss having their cheery
faces around and will be forever grateful for their service to the region through the DRP.
But it is not all gloom and doom. We were blessed to have new staff join us as well over the period of January
to June this year in the persons of Taito Nakalevu, Suzanne Paisley, Anthony Blake, Loraini Baleilomaloma,
Clare White and two gents that were gone but then have come back for more ‘punishment’, Noa Tokavou and
Waisale Naqiolevu. We have a great team and, in the period ahead, we will add more to this family. In the next
month, we’ll be joined by five other staff as part of a new project with the World Bank (more details on this in
the next edition).
I hope you enjoy the stories in this and coming editions.
Mosese Sikivou
Assessing the damage after floods in the Solomon Islands
Heavy rainfall associated with a tropical depression
hit the Solomon Islands in early April 2014 causing
flooding and landslides in parts of Guadalcanal and
neighbouring islands, including Honiara. Flood water
from theMatanikau River in Honiara impacted houses,
food gardens, and infrastructure and claimed 21 lives.
It disrupted transportation and infrastructure and
delayed the school term in areas where schools were
used as evacuation centres.
Early reports were received from people who had fled
their communities and found refuge with relatives and
in schools and community facilities. The collection of
additional information was also made possible with
the activation of the Disaster Charter which resulted
in satellite imagery being captured over the Mataniko
River. The damaged Mataniko Bridge was clearly