Peceli Naviticoko 
Fiji faces gaps in community disaster preparedness as the cyclone season nears. Many villages lack tailored plans to protect lives and property.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Sakiasi Ditoka states village disaster committees are vital for reducing pressure on national authorities.
He said they must focus on evacuation centres and homes built to withstand Category 5 cyclones.
“If the Disaster Management Committee does work properly, it just cuts down all the stress that we have at the headquarters, because most of the thinking would have been done at the community level, and it’s tailored to their needs, rather than us coming down and telling them what they need.”
Ditoka points out that communities are undergoing training under the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management program to improve response before and after disasters.
Committees are asked to survey homes to see which meet Category 5 standards and address those that do not.
Ditoka warns that many communities remain unprepared.
Strengthening village disaster planning, he adds is crucial as Fiji gears up for the cyclone season starting in November.
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