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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI13042664/00001
Notes
- Summary:
- This document presents the status of disaster management in Pacific island countries. It highlights the stakeholders, their approach to addressing disaster risks, national and local structures for disaster management, and critical coordinating authorities. The report begins by emphasizing the significance that being in a region where most countries are Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has on capacities for disaster management. Often these countries have limited human and material resources, and thus the perceived sense of tension between financing development and investing in disaster risk reduction (DRR) is that much more acute. In terms of stakeholders, the report asserts that disaster management has been implemented in the Pacific island countries mainly by a few officials. Facing limited resources, they have often been quite open to new ideas and innovations from around the world. When it comes to approaches to disaster management, the Pacific island countries are believed to be amongst the most creative, placing emphasis on a whole-of-country approach incorporating all available resources, government, and non-government entities. While national structures vary from one island to the other, all countries have a peak national disaster committee, which is supported by a national disaster management office (NDMO). At the local level, community committees ensure the connection between local populations and national structures. National coordination is ensured by the NDMO, which facilitates contact between different stakeholders and agencies. NDMOs are particularly focused on DRR, working on preparedness, public awareness campaigns, and serving advisory functions for sub-national disaster management committees and local governments. The next section of the document focuses on DRR as implemented within the region. It discusses vulnerabilities faced by SIDS, and some major risk and vulnerability reduction programmes being implemented. The final chapter addresses disaster preparedness, response, and recovery mechanisms developed throughout the region. Perhaps the most interesting element of the document is its emphasis on the need to preserve and incorporate many traditional practices found throughout the region into formal DRR strategies. It specifically challenges the notion that lifestyles brought by Westernizers meant more developed and less vulnerable societies. In fact, many foreign practices have destroyed traditional resiliencies and increased risks to disaster. ( , )
- Subject:
- General Risk Reduction
- Citation/Reference:
- (1994). Yokohama strategy and plan of action for a safer world: Pacific progress report, part 2, Pacific island countries. World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (WCNDR).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Florida International University
- Rights Management:
- Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.
- Resource Identifier:
- FI13042664
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