The consequences of Tropical Cyclone Winston have led the Fijian government to implement a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing the country’s resilience and disaster mitigation efforts. This strategy is outlined in the current National Development Plan (NDP), which emphasizes Fiji’s susceptibility due to its geographical positioning and landscape.
The plan stresses the urgency of tackling these vulnerabilities to protect developmental achievements and ensure the well-being of communities across Fiji. It highlights the nation’s high exposure to natural disasters and climate change, illustrated by the extensive property damages and setbacks in economic and social development following TC Winston.
“The Government recognizes that actions to bolster resilience and reduce the impact of such events must occur simultaneously with strategies that promote economic growth and social welfare to protect development gains,” the NDP notes.
The NDP prioritizes enhancing resilience against natural disasters and climate-related challenges, initiating a comprehensive policy framework that incorporates various innovative strategies.
A key element of the NDP is the integration of climate resilience and disaster risk reduction into multiple facets of development planning. This includes mainstreaming these measures in infrastructure, spatial planning, and sector planning, alongside enforcing stricter adherence to pertinent standards and codes.
The government plans to boost investments in adaptation initiatives and enhance national capabilities for risk foresight to enable early detection of such events. Furthermore, an important aspect of this approach involves the establishment of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO).
As defined by the NDP, the NDMO is responsible for coordinating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation efforts. “The NDMO will create a joint action plan for climate change and disaster risk reduction, develop a Disaster Risk Financing Policy featuring innovative financing solutions, and strengthen the multi-hazard warning system through a people-centered approach.”