Suva, Fiji – On November 30, the United States government, in partnership with the Fiji Business Disaster Resilience Council and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, will launch a Business Continuity Planning – Train the Trainers program at the Takia Hotel for businesses in Labasa, Fiji to better prepare for natural disasters. The training is part of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Ready project, which is strengthening the environmental and disaster resilience of Pacific Island nations.
Natural disasters have a major impact on Fiji’s businesses and the economy as a whole. According to the Fiji government’s post-disaster assessments, Tropical Cyclone Winston caused FJD$1.99 billion in damages and losses in total. Through this 2 day training, 20 participants will learn about business continuity planning, the role of first responders, and how climate variability affects businesses. They will also learn about government services and disaster management plans. These measures not only help businesses better prepare for disasters, but also position them to effectively contribute to recovery efforts.
Following the training program, which will also be implemented in Suva later this month, participants will be certified to mentor other businesses and private sector organizations across the country.
USAID’s five-year Ready project strengthens the capacity of governments and institutions to develop and implement effective environmental and disaster mitigation policies and strategies. Ready works in 12 Pacific Island nations: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
For more information:
Dmitri Tarakhovsky
Regional Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Embassy Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu
(679) 331 – 4466
TarakhovskyD@state.gov