Page 5 - Snapshot 86

Basic HTML Version

5
July - September 2014
Mapping Disasters
The Fiji National Disaster Management Office (NDMO)
coordinates disaster preparedness and response
activities in Fiji with the support of other Government
agencies and partners. For the past 4 years it has
received support from the Japanese International
Corporation Agency (JICA) to develop its Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) capacity. Two JICA
experts were seconded to the NDMO to work as key
staff in developing a baseline inventory of hazards,
communities, community assets and focal points.
The NDMO has, with Fiji Land Information System
and SPC, worked to pull together essential datasets
to support any disaster response effort. Part of this
work has included a three-day training at SPC, for
three NDMO staff to:
• Prepare baseline datasets such as administrative
boundaries, community locations and critical
infrastructure.
• Develop map templates that can be used to quickly
produce maps of affected communities, facilities
and services from damage assessments received.
During the session, additional work was identified to
strengthen disaster information management. These
include:
• Standardised initial damage assessment templates.
• Preset templates to collate and map assessments
whether at a community level, provincial or other
administrative area.
• System to map and track resources as they are
delivered to affected communities.
Further GIS support will be provided to the NDMO
as well as officers from other divisions. This activity
strengthens the capacity of the NDMO to support the
National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC).
Mereoni Ketewai of SPC taking Mereisi Rukulawe from the Fiji
Government (NDMO) through the training exercises
Phase 3 of the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and
Financing Initiative
Introducing the third phase of the SPC andWorld Bank
lead project, the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment
and Financing Initiative 3 (PCRAFI 3).
PCRAFI aims to provide the Pacific Island countries
(PICs) with disaster risk modelling and assessment
tools. It also aims to engage in a dialogue with the PICs
on integrated financial solutions for the reduction of
their financial vulnerability to disasters and climate
change. The initiative is part of the broader agenda
on disaster risk management and climate change
adaptation in the Pacific region.
This third phase of the project which officially
commenced in late September 2013, will provide PICs
with an upgraded disaster and climate risk platform,
enhance capacity to use it, and an associated series of
risk management applications for enhanced disaster
risk reduction, risk management, and risk financing
decisions. The project’s main components involve the
strengthening of the Pacific Risk Information System
(PacRIS), institutional capacity building on disaster
and climate risk financing, as well as rapid disaster
impact estimation.
SPC welcomes the PCRAFI 3 project team including
Norense Iyahen, Project Coordinator and Risk Advisor,
David Abbott, Public Finance Management Specialist,
and Savita Chand, Finance and Administration Officer.
Norense Iyahen, Savita Chand, and David Abbott