MINISTER DITOKA’S REMARKS ON THE 2023-2024 TROPICAL CYCLONE SEASON OUTLOOK

12/10/2023


The Honourable Minister for Public Works Department, Transport & Meteorological Services, 
Members of the Media,
Invited Guests,
Ladies & Gentlemen,
 
Ni sa bula Vinaka.
 
  1. It gives me immense pleasure to join you all this morning, to hear, fresh off the press, the 2023 – 2024 Tropical Cyclone Season forecast for Fiji and the region.
 
  1.  Today I also wish to congratulate the Fiji Meteorological Services for their continued professionalism in providing this service, allowing agencies like the National Disaster Management Office that comes under my ambit to develop disaster management preparedness plans and save lives during the onset of meteorological hazards.
 
  1. Ladies and gentlemen, you all have heard the TC outlook forecasted that could impact us during our cyclone season that runs from November to April.
 
  1. In saying that, we all know that our cyclone season is around the corner, and we all know that it brings with it cyclones, heavy rains, floods, storm surges and landslides.  Yet, it still seems we are often caught unaware and unprepared for them.
 
  1. Since taking up this portfolio, I have frequently found myself in the regrettable position of, during inclement weather conditions, urging the general public to heed weather advisories and maintain a state of preparedness at all times. Additionally, I have frequently been compelled to convey information regarding injuries and fatalities arising from adverse weather conditions that could have been easily prevented.
 
  1. Resilience is something that comes naturally to us. As a nation that has weathered many strong storms such as Winston and Yasa, we all know that cyclones, floods, tsunamis and earthquakes will reach our shores. We must also remind ourselves that we have even weathered such storms with the onset of the COVID19 pandemic that added a blanket of complexity to our response. This is a testament to our resilience as individuals, families, communities and as a nation.
 
  1. But let us not so quickly forget the devastation they bring and become lax in our attitude of preparedness.
 
  1. So, in government’s continuous efforts in building our nation’s resilience, I stand here, as the minister responsible for disaster management, to invite you all, in joining my ministry in celebrating the annual National Disaster Awareness Week.
 
  1. The National Disaster Management Office with member agencies represented at the National Disaster Management Council including the private sector will kick off the five-day activities beginning tomorrow, the 13th of October, which is also the   International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction or IDRR Day.
 
  1. The 13th of October, designated as IDRR Day by the United Nations General Assembly, will be marked with an Academic Session hosted at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, focusing on disaster risk reduction & preparedness and framed around earthquake and tsunami hazards. The Day’s and awareness week theme, ‘Fighting Inequality For A Resilient Future’, aligns well with the Sendai Framework, the international agreement to prevent and reduce losses in lives, livelihoods, economies and basic infrastructure.
 
  1. In essence, the theme looks at the reciprocal relationship between disasters and inequality. Inequality and disaster vulnerability are two sides of the same coin; unequal access to services, such as finance and insurance, leaves the most at risk exposed to the danger of disasters; while disaster impacts exacerbate inequalities and push the most at risk further into poverty.
 
  1. One way the NDAW is addressing this, is to curb the destructive power of hazards—in other words, stop them from turning into disasters—through careful and coordinated planning that is designed to reduce people’s exposure and vulnerability to harm’. In particular, we are looking to stop earthquake and tsunami hazards from turning into disasters.
 
  1. A great deal has been achieved in terms of earthquake and tsunami preparedness through careful and coordinated planning with other agencies, but the only true way to know if Fiji is ready is to test the systems – and put plans into practice.
 
  1. This will be done through a table top exercise followed by a command post exercise and field simulation exercise to test the readiness of the lead agencies; and the various components required for an effective national tsunami response from Monday 16th to Wednesday 18th October at the Albert Park, here in Suva.
 
  1. The official opening of the National Disaster Awareness Week, on Tuesday the 17th October will be marked by a tsunami drill where selected schools, communities and agencies will be evacuating and putting into practise their tsunami response plans.
 
  1. The official opening will also be marked with the presence of Ms. Mami Mizutori, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. In addition to our international VIP gracing our celebrations, I am happy to advise that we will also be joined by members of the NDMO and Red Cross family across the Pacific and New Zealand, who have accepted our humble invitation to witness and observe the suite of preparedness activities showcased, and take back lessons learnt. We will also have the presence of Australian Disaster Assistance Response Team (AusDART) providing technical skills training for our very own National Fire Authority and upskilling them in urban search and rescue (USAR).
 
  1. For two days, first responder agencies like the National Fire Authority, the Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Military Forces, the Fiji Navy and the Fiji Emergency Medical Assistant Team or FEMAT will be showcasing their capabilities through field simulation exercises. 
 
  1. Coinciding with this, there will also be a command post exercise where the NDMO with relevant national, regional and international stakeholders will test their internal arrangements and coordinating mechanisms.  All these will be closely monitored, evaluated and reported by professional Referees who will ensure that all this will be a valuable learning experience.
 
  1. All these would not be possible without the support from our partners. I take this time to acknowledge the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the Government of New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Pacific Community, the UN Women ,the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), United State Agency for International Development (USAID) , the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), United Nation Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), World Food Programme (WFP) and Walesi for their funding and technical support.
 
  1.  As the minister responsible, I am truly excited for the days ahead and I again invite you and your families to join us.
 
  1. As I close, I wish to stress again the importance of preparedness. One simple act of preparedness such as making and practising a family disaster plan or saving an emergency contact, can easily save a life and safeguard years of investment. We all know that tropical cyclones its associated hazards will impact our nation, but more importantly, we must know what to do when they happen.
 
  1. With those few words, I thank the Fiji Meteorological Services for their continued professional service in providing the nation and regions tropical cyclone forecast and I look forward to an uneventful cyclone season ahead.
 
  1. Thank You, Vinaka Vakalevu and Dhanyavaad!