Peceli Naviticoko 
The Northern Division is being urged to strengthen its preparedness for climate-related disasters, as Fiji continues to experience the impacts of the current El Niño event.
This was highlighted during the official opening of the 9th National Climate Outlook Forum in Labasa, marking the first time the forum has been hosted in the Northern Division.
Acting Commissioner Northern Division Apolosi Lewaqai, while officiating at the event, said the country must move beyond responding to disasters when they happen and instead prioritise building resilient communities better prepared for future climate challenges.
“Every flood, every dry spell leaves a lasting scar on our economy, disrupting our fisheries, tourism and transport sectors, and hitting our rural families the hardest. We cannot simply manage this crisis as they arrive. We must out- prepare them, building a resilient community. A nation is the defining priority of our government.”
Meanwhile, Senior Scientist at the Fiji Meteorological Services, Arieta Baleisolomone, says the Northern and Western divisions are among the areas that typically experience the effects of El Niño.
Ms Baleisolomone says reports from communities and villages indicate that some impacts of the current El Niño event are already being experienced on the ground.
She says the forum provides an important opportunity to raise awareness, particularly among communities in the Northern Division, about the likely impacts of the current climate event.
Held under the theme “Creating a Gender-Inclusive Climate-Resilient Society”, the forum brings together participants and stakeholders in and around the North to discuss climate risks, share information and strengthen community preparedness.
