Fiji has been selected to be among the nations to be part of the Applying Space-based technology and Information and Communication technology to Strengthen Disaster Resilience programme.

The other three developing nations – Armenia, Bangladesh and Philippines – will foster the needed leverage in terms of disaster reduction on disasters.

National Disaster Management Office Director Akapusi Tuifagalele said: “We are quite lucky to be chosen in the Asian Pacific region as other organisation look at Fiji as a hub of the pacific.”

He opened the two-day resilience training workshop sponsored by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and implemented by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). It was attended by various agencies including non-government organisations, Government and municipalities.

Mr Tuifagalele was the chief guest at the event.

He said the programme was scheduled in December last year but delayed because of the the impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

“It is also timely for Fiji as we have gone through many cyclones including TC Winston.”

He said available mapping and information management tools enabled the NDMO during disaster.

“This assisted Government to provide immediate needs to be deployed on the ground. Satellite imagery to some extent was used to map out areas affected. ICT tools were also used to share information. Mobile phone technologies are a quicker way to get accurate initial damage assessment.”

He said when disaster struck; village headmen and advisory councillors with the use of the mobile phone informed the NDMO of their various situations at hand.

“Fiji will need to re-look at this technology for future operations. Space-based technology provides an opportunity for us to develop these tools and capacities further and together and also improve on how we use them.

“We need to build this capacity at the NDMO and relevant sectors,” Mr Tuifagalele said.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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