Shania Shayal Prasad 
Efforts are underway to boost disaster preparedness in Fiji’s remote and maritime communities, with the rollout of Starlink improving communication reliability during emergencies.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Sakiasi Ditoka, says mitigation measures are tracked through direct feedback from affected communities and regular field assessments by divisional teams and the National Disaster Risk Management Office.
“Close coordination between the Ministry, divisional offices, and NDRMO ensures that when adaptation measures fall short, improvements can be made to better protect communities,”.
Communication remains a top priority during disasters, with the Ministry using social media, email, official websites, telephone systems, and now Starlink to keep stakeholders informed.
“Well, we’ve got the early warning systems for flood risks at the moment. We’ve got non-food item packages pre-positioned around Fiji, ready on standby in case of flooding or other disasters. These are placed at government stations as well as in hard-to-reach areas,”.
Ditoka says the Starlink network has significantly strengthened disaster response in isolated locations, allowing authorities to coordinate quickly and effectively when emergencies occur.
He adds that disaster preparedness is now routine, supported by ongoing training and community-based disaster risk management programs.
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