For the last six years, from 2010 to 2016, Fiji has recorded three tropical cyclones and two severe flooding events, indicating that on average we are encountering a disaster on an annual basis.
Minister for Defence and National Security – Ratu Inoke Kubuabola made the comments at the launch of National Disaster Awareness week in Suva yesterday.
While the theme for the week is focused on being Tsunami ready, Kubuabola reiterated the need to always plan for the worst case scenario.
“Fiji is considered as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to natural disasters. The 2016 World Risk Report placed Fiji as the 16th most vulnerable country in the world to natural hazards, and our ranking is largely based on the fact that the rate of natural disasters occurring on our islands is increasing.”
The Minister also noted that Fiji continues to recover from Tropical Cyclone Winston which affected close to 62 percent of the population with an estimated damage bill of around two billion dollars.
