Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola says disaster risk management capacity building must be an area of priority for Pacific island countries.
At the Forum Foreign Ministers in Australia, Kubuabola said we all need to have skills within our systems to better fend for ourselves during natural disasters.
Kubuabola says Fiji took a ‘whole-of- government’ approach to assess the effects of Tropical Cyclone Evan in all sectors after it hit the country in December 2012.
Fiji pursued a post-disaster needs assessment which was the first of its kind for the country.
Kubuabola says that enabled the country to take stock of physical damage to property, infrastructure and productive assets.
The assessment also took into account losses resulting from the disruption of economic flows brought in by the natural disaster.
Kubuabola says the assessment included a capacity development component and 60 government staff received training.
He adds Fiji is now equipped to undertake assessments in the future.
