Fiji is at the forefront of global efforts to strengthen disaster and climate resilience.

This was highlighted at a recent virtual International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2021.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was one of the country leaders that inaugurated the ICDRI 2021 among India, the United Kingdom and Italy.

While delivering his statement, Bainimarama spoke on the impact of the climate crisis on Fiji’s infrastructure development and the progressive actions taken by Fiji to build back better.

Bainimarama says in December last year, 32 schools that were rebuilt from TC Winston was in the path of another Category 5 super-storm, Cyclone Yasa. 

He adds that every one of them is open today, as are roads, health centres, and other essential infrastructure that were built back to better, more resilient standards. 

The PM says rapidly strengthening disaster readiness has led Fiji to become the first nation to achieve Target E of the Sendai Framework.

Bainimarama adds that our early warning systems played a huge role in shepherding Fijians to safety and avoiding the same catastrophic loss of life we saw from TC Winston. 

Reflecting on the importance of global solidarity, the Head of the Fijian Government also acknowledged India’s Prime Minister for his leadership to ensure nations recover together from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ICDRI brings together governments, private sector, academic institutions and civil society organizations to deliberate on disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure systems and take stock of progress on related elements of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement on climate.