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Natural hazards continue to cause significant loss of life in Asia and the Pacific, and existing trends suggest that growth in direct physical losses is outpacing regional expansion in gross domestic product. Behind each human and physical loss, there are additional indirect impacts and secondary consequences. These impacts can take many forms, including reduced output, disruptions to supply chains, lost schooling, and widening income and gender inequalities

Th e Asian Development Bank (ADB) has piloted fragility assessments in selected urban settlements in the Pacifi c using a community-based approach and focusing on the impact of fragility on the delivery of basic services. Th e fragility assessment of South Tarawa in Kiribati explores patterns of fragility related to urban development including delivery of critical urban services with focus on water and sanitation services. Bairiki Village, an urban settlement in South Tarawa, was a case study for the assessment.

This proposal has been prepared by the Ocean and Islands Programme (OIP) within the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) in collaboration with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). It has been prepared in response to an invitation1 from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to assist the Cook Islands in deriving coastal related information to underpin and inform climate change adaptation decisions for coastal areas of Mangaia Island.

The Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop on Rainwater Harvesting took place in Vava'u, Tonga from 12-15 May 2004. Involving community extension workers from the Village Women's Development Programme (VWDP) of the Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT), the training was based on a participatory approach that emphasised 'learning-by-doing'. Using a step-by-step process, workshop participants were introduced to various participatory tools and took part in participatory activities and exercises that they could potentially use during future training on rainwater harvesting in communities.

At the 3rd World Water Forum held in 2003 in Kyoto, Pacific island country ministers, delegations and representatives of civil society, reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and Targets of halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation and the World Summit for Sustain- able Development (WSSD) Plan of Implementation.

The Government of Niue (GoN) is restructuring its Public Service which is a timely opportunity to integrate water management functions adopting the IWRM approach and principles in lieu of the current sectoral approach adopted over the last 3-4 decades. This will be an opportunity to integrate NGOs, civil society and all stakeholders in the process of water and wastewater management. The strengthening of the national capacity will enhance efficiency to deliver the required services by the public institutions, but also the awareness of the community on the sustainable use of water as a finite natural resource.

Active participation from people is key to the success of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The purpose of these guidelines is to support government departments and organisations in mobilising people towards IWRM.