Mr Cokanasiga - Opening address at the Inaugural Pacific Regional DRM Meeting for Pacific CEOs of Finance and Planning and Disaster Management
Jul 24, 2008, 16:12

Inaugural Pacific Regional DRM Meeting for Pacific CEOs of Finance & Planning and Disaster Management

OPENING ADDRESS – MR JOKETANI COKANASIGA – MINISTER FOR PRIMARI INDUSTRIES


Honourable Ministers
Director of the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Chief Executive Officers of Pacific Island Countries and National Disaster Managers
Representatives of regional and international partner organisations
Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to extend to each and every one of you a very warm “bula’ and welcome to the Isles of Fiji. Many have travelled great distances to attend this inaugural meeting and I hope the journey and your stay will be memorable and comfortable. The agenda shows a full programme and a busy two days ahead of you but inspite of that I hope you would be able to share a part of our Western Division hospitality and of our Fiji.

This meeting is an important occasion for the Pacific; a significant step forward in our efforts at improved disaster risk management: recognition of its role as an important variable in the formula to achieve economic growth, environmental security, sustainability of life and property and sustainable development. As Mr. Jan Egeland the UN Under secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs stated: “the task of reducing risk is no straightforward matter and it requires long-term and steady dedication. It remains an urgent priority to ensure that, jointly, humanitarian and development efforts address the long-term goal of building resilience as an essential condition for sustainable development, thus avoiding unnecessary loss of life and livelihoods.”
Ladies and gentlemen,

I consider it an honour and privilege to be invited by the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) to open this Inaugural Pacific Disaster Risk Management Meeting for Pacific Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Finance, Planning and of Disaster Management. As is the case with inaugural meetings there appears to be a heightened sense of excitement and expectation. The desire for the organisation of any first-time event or meeting to “get things right” is often the norm in this setting where the attention is focused on the senior-most level within our various public services. No doubt a significant amount of thought and preparation has gone into the organisation of this meeting as well as the other two meetings held earlier this week. The sober expectation is that the CEOs will take the lessons learned over the course of the next two days, draw from the sharing of ideas and experiences to challenge existing approaches to disaster risk management, and become the key drivers of change and its application in your respective countries.

Fiji has, like many of your countries, an interesting history of natural disasters along with human-caused calamities. Looking back at the historical records Fiji has experienced significant suffering and hardship from numerous cyclones and hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis as well as suffered through severe health epidemics. Cyclones, of course, are perhaps the most common type of hazard that we and our island neighbours like Samoa, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga deal with on an annual basis. Tropical Cyclone “Gene” earlier this year alone inflicted damage estimated at F$45 million.

In terms of the costs of damage incurred as a result of cyclones to Fiji official reports indicate that over a period of 32 years Fiji has averaged around $20 million per year over the whole country. Drawing from the damage assessment report on Tropical Cyclone “Ami” in 2003 the overall costs of damage have been set at $104 million of which the greatest impact was felt by the population through the extreme damage to housing ($22 million) and commercial agriculture ($39 million). No values, of course, can ever be placed on loss of a single life.

When these types of figures are compared against our development-related expenditure capacity in our national budget it is very obvious that for the years immediately following major disasters, our ability as a government and a country to address real issues of health, poverty, housing, sanitation, and basic water needs not to mention the ongoing development support for education, roading and transport for instance are significantly curtailed and achieved development activities are set back for a few years. In describing the situation for Fiji, it is one which I’m sure many of our Pacific countries have experienced, and many of you are familiar with. The Pacific is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world, given our land size, sea mass, and the wide nature of hazards which seems to have increased in frequency and intensity. We are already feeling the effects of climate change, sea level rise and, particularly extreme weather events relating to climate variability.

In the face of such adversity, given our vulnerability as small island developing countries, there is need to constantly question “what we can do?” to assist our nations people. Limited resources have not given us too many options when disasters strike. Risk reduction is now the accepted and logical option.

A first step, which has been widely discussed within the region, is to continue our efforts to pool resources to more effectively address the challenges of disasters and development at all levels: internationally, regionally and nationally. The development of partnerships and associations that can address disasters and the risks posed by them is critical in meeting the vision of Pacific leaders for sustainable development for Pacific islands countries. Fiji will continue to actively participate in these opportunities.

Secondly, I believe we need to focus our efforts internally, within each of our countries at the national level. We need to launch into pronounced initiatives and re-dedicate ourselves to the challenge of addressing the development challenges posed by hazards that continually impact our nations along with their associated risks. It is in this connection that you as CEO’s of Finance, Planning and Disaster Management are pivotal; to initiate, develop and maintain risk management efforts which will in the first instance reduce impacts and loss and allows for more rational and effective disaster management: preparedness, response and recovery.

I would urge each and every one of you to take up the challenge, to initiate just one major change that could bring about a better way to address the management of extreme natural hazard events that have become disasters in your country and the management of risks associated with the predominant hazards. For too long we have relied on small, under-staffed, under-resourced NDMO units to carry the burden of responsibility for disaster risk management in our countries. The NDMOs certainly have played important and critical role and they must continue. I am of the view however that, given the stark realities of the links between disasters and development that the senior most level within our Governments need to take the leadership role. In doing so you would utilise the most appropriate mechanisms to ensure that throughout our Government systems we consciously address hazard risk at least in all sectoral initiatives. Earlier this week our disaster managers shared in the experience of Indonesia and were informed that Indonesia actually gives the responsibility for leading risk reduction efforts to their national planning agency. This is indeed an interesting lesson for our Pacific governments.

We need to make this focus become ‘second nature’ to all of us. The CEOs of course are not alone in this, as Cabinet Ministers and leaders also have prominent roles to play. It needs leadership at all levels. It is believed by SOPAC that Finance, Planning and NDMOs must start the movement as the most effective group in moving government bureaucracies and related policies and strategies

Thirdly, there is need to encourage and support the communities and civil society so they too can contribute. I am strongly of the view that without the communities’ active involvement we will not make much progress. In Fiji we have over time and through governments’ policies to improve living standards, created a dependency mentality. Rural development programmes, while focussed on building independence and self worth, have ironically produced an opposite effect. As a result today we have to deal with sections of our population that prefer to adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude in the aftermath of disasters, even if this boarders on their own personal safety and well being. It is because of issues such as this that we urgently need and must continue to work and cooperate with the communities.

The task should not be daunting or too hard. Most of our countries, if not all, have systems in place that involve the community and civil society in development decision making. All stakeholders must define ways to effectively work together in cooperation to raise the necessary awareness and create a sense of responsibility, ownership of their security and a future that will allow them to lead free and worthwhile livelihoods

For Fiji, we have our fair share of problems, but we are taking important steps with relation to hazard risk and disaster management. Recently, through the support of the European Union and SOPAC, a flood early warning system has been established for residents in the greater Navua area. We also look forward to further assistance under this same programme to establish a similar warning system for the Rewa River Delta area. A few years ago Australia supported us with funding to carry out a review of our national disaster risk management arrangements, support for emergency communications, and the outfitting of district emergency operations centres. Support from Australia has also contributed to the introduction of risk assessment tools like Comprehensive Hazard and Risk Management or CHARM into the rural development planning process although I acknowledge that a renewed effort is required for this.

These investments and the risk management approach needs in-country support as well as long term steady dedication if partners support are not to be wasted and what has been achieved is maintained. In country leadership and ownership is the sine qua non: commitment, cooperation and coordination is the modus operandi.

Ladies and gentlemen

I am fully aware that what I am saying is not new and you probably have heard them many times before. But what is new is that if we truly care about our people, their lives and their future; if Millennium Development Goals are to have real meaning to the poor; and if we care about the enhancement of the capabilities of our people to live free and worthwhile livelihoods then I challenge you to accept the responsibility - so that when we meet again we will then talk of lives saved and opportunities created. You will not be hearing the same thing again; the same message will not be repeated NOT because it is forgotten but because disaster risk management has become a normal part of your working life.

And we are fortunate in the Pacific that we have SOPAC, which has been tasked by Forum Leaders and the challenge accepted by its Governing Council; our own regional organisation to assist and support implementation of disaster risk management approaches through its Community Risk Programme and supported where necessary by the Community Lifelines Programme, the Ocean & Islands Programme and other SOPAC programmes.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The work of SOPAC is supported by Australia, New Zealand, EU, World Bank, US through the Asia Foundation and UNDP amongst others and by other members of the Pacific Disaster Risk Management Partnership Network. SOPAC, donors and partners are here to support our regional and national efforts. Ownership and leadership are yours without which there will not be any real success. The baton is in your hands - disasters are never a question of IF - only of WHEN and HOW.

Fiji values the work SOPAC and partners not only in Disaster Risk Management and related work but in its work based on science and technology in the fields of mineral resources, mapping and GIS and remote sensing, water, energy and resource economics. We deeply appreciate its multidisciplinary approach to achieve integrated solutions in a world we are slowly recognising that is much more complex, multi-dimensional and multi-faceted than we had thought. And I am fully aware of the trust and faith that small island states have in relation to SOPAC programme and service delivery.

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SOPAC is, in Fiji’s opinion, a most valuable institution that provides excellence in the quality, relevancy, and timeliness of its programme and service delivery. Disaster Risk Management is one of those and I urge you to take advantage of it in the interest of your country and people.

In advocating the need for mainstreaming disaster risk management in the national, policy, strategy and decision-making process I am aware that its context is a complex “array of political social, economic and environmental challenges” as well as scientific and technical. Much still needs to be done in terms of the “sciences” of its implementation. My point however is that is there is enough evidence in our global society to prove its importance and political will at your level is needed to at the least start the process. Nor will it be free - there will be cost; institutional, capacity building, assessment of vulnerabilities and so on. However there is no doubt it would cost much less than the cost if risk is not reduced. Moreover, you may even spread the risk management cost by taking a multi-hazards approach.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There are no quick solutions. Disaster Risk Management is not a panacea for all disaster related issues. But it is the best option for approaching disaster-related events in protecting lives, supporting economic growth, achieving Millennium Development Goals and assuring sustainable development. Leadership and good governance must be the underpinning foundation of the operation in hazard and disaster situations that always by its nature create environments of tensions and cultures of uncertainty.

We need to begin and for those countries that have already started you need to continue and in turn help other Pacific Island Countries in their adaption journey. There is a greater recognition now that “:however fundamental the basic requirements are….success most often is to be found in the details that are suited to specific problems, location and conditions……and people involved” (Jeggle). And if I may suggest that is why we are all here.

Our role as drivers of disaster risk management – of disaster risk reduction and disaster management – is to define and implement multi-disciplinary approaches to achieve integrated solutions to support greater security of life and sustainability of livelihoods and development. Our objective as stated by the Leaders in their 2004 Auckland Declaration…”the Pacific region can, should and will be a region of peace, harmony, security and economic prosperity, so that all its people can lead free and worthwhile lives”.

I thank SOPAC and the partners for identifying and realising this opportunity to bring you all together this week and wish you the very best in your deliberations.

Ladies and gentlemen I thank for the privilege and honour extended and I now have much pleasure in declaring this inaugural meeting officially open.

Vinaka vakalevu.