Fiji presses for region-wide shift to proactive disaster response

Fiji has urged Pacific nations to shift from reactive response to proactive, risk-informed disaster planning, calling for stronger regional collaboration and investment in preparedness.

Speaking at the Second Pacific Disaster Risk Management Ministerial Meeting in Koror, Palau today, Fiji’s National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) director Napolioni Boseiwaqa said the National Disaster Risk Management Act 2023 has modernised Fiji’s preparedness and response systems.

The law, passed last year to replace Fiji’s outdated 1998 disaster legislation, establishes a National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Council, a Humanitarian Cluster System, and registries for humanitarian actors and volunteers, while mandating multi-hazard early warning systems backed by partnerships with United Nations agencies.

“Our experience has taught us to move from reactive response to proactive, risk-informed planning,” Mr Boseiwaqa said.

“We’ve built a system that is coordinated, inclusive, and anchored in accountability,” he added.

Fiji’s National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) Director Napolioni Boseiwaqa at the second Pacific Disaster Risk Management Ministerial Meeting in Koror, Palau today.

Inoke Rabonu.

“We’ve ensured our disaster management actions reflect gender, disability, and youth perspectives,” he added.

Through initiatives such as the Early-Warning-for-All Programme, he said Fiji was mapping investment priorities with partners including the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“Our collective strength lies in collaboration. Let’s commit to inclusive planning and sustained investment to build a resilient Pacific.”

This week’s ministerial meeting in Palau builds on the 2022 Nadi Declaration, bringing together Pacific leaders, ministers, and regional agencies to strengthen coordination and political leadership in disaster management.