Search the SPREP Catalogue

The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is currently executing the project Reducing Vulnerability in Pacific ACP States with funding from the European Development Fund (EDF). The project has the objective to reduce Pacific ACP States' vulnerability to natural disasters affecting their coasts through the development of an integrated planning and management system which targets: hazard mitigation and risk assessment; alternative sources of aggregates for construction; and water resources and sanitation. Major activities undertaken through this project with participating countries are: -assessment of aggregate resource supplies to mitigate the impact of unsustainable aggregate mining from the coastline; -development of bathymetric maps, 3D bathymetric and hydrodynamic models spatial databases relating to resource use, exploration and survey, and vulnerability to disasters; and -investigating and raising awareness about coastal processes.

This guide has been produced to assist Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to prepare Disaster Risk Management (DRM) National Action Plans (NAP). The NAP development process is supported by the Pacific Disaster Risk Management Partnership Network (PPN) and is considered a key instrument in facilitating DRM mainstreaming. Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is a crosscutting or cross-sectoral development issue, meaning that it is necessary for a broad range of stakeholders to cooperate and coordinate their activities in order to effectively reduce disaster risks to national sustainable development. The National Action Plan (NAP) facilitates this as it seeks to include all relevant DRM sectors, institutions and stakeholders in developing the NAP through a consultative and participatory process. While government typically drives the process of plan development, it is important to note that this is not a government plan. Rather it is a whole-of-country plan representing all sectors of society: government, civil society, private sector and communities.

Small island countries are no different from other countries in that freshwater is essential to human existence and a major requirement in agricultural and other commercial production systems. However, the ability of the island countries to effectively man-age the water sector differs in Small Island Devel-oping States (SIDS), as they are constrained by their small size, isolation, fragility, natural vulnerability, and a limited human, financial and natural resource base.

He stressed that this session was an opportunity to ensure that all delegates were up-to-date with the Project and its background. To set the scene for the workshop he reported on the Project development history. In summary, he drew attention to the signing of the grant and financing agreements on the 13 March 2002. He also noted that the SOPAC Project has been at least 3 to 4 years in development.

Nauru is a single raised coral island with a total land area of 21 sq km. Despite its small land area, Nauru has an EEZ that extends over more than 320 000 sq km. Its maximum height above sea level is approximately 70 m.

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a young independent nation, which consists of over 600 islands, with a total land area of only 701 sq km. The islands are located in the western Pacific Ocean over an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of approximately 2.9 million sq km and a maximum height of 791 m above sea level. There are four states which comprise FSM. From west to east they are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. The population of these islands was estimated at 116 400 in 19991 , with Chuuk being the most populous state. FSM encompasses both mountainous islands with fertile volcanic soils and remarkably high rainfall, as well as low-lying atolls. It is endowed with abundant and varied marine resources and limited land-based resources. The economy of FSM is quite reliant on foreign aid. Other mainstays include fisheries, agriculture and tourism. Copra, fish and trochus shell contribute to the export earnings of the country.

Samoa, a volcanic archipelago, consists of two large islands (Upolu and Savaii) and several small ones with a total land area of approximately 2 935 sq km. It lies in the southwest Pacific in an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 120 000 sq km, the smallest in the Pacific area. The country has a total population of 168 000, estimated in 1999 . More than half of the population lives on Upolu, where the capital Apia is located. Samoa has a tropical climate with a rainy season from October to April and a dry season from May to September. Rainfall varies from 5 000 mm to 7 000 mm on the windward side and 2 500 mm to 3 000 mm on the leeward side.