Solomon Islands Ranked Second in terms of Disaster Risk

Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Hon Stanley Festus Sofu (MP) in his intervention at the Asia- Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Brisbane yesterday (19th September 2022) highlighted that the Solomon Islands was ranked second in terms of disaster risk by the World Risk Report 2021. 

He retorted that people have lived and thrived on these islands for ages, which is indicative of the resilience, and this can be enhanced with assistance from partners.

He assured the Asia-Pacific region, that the Solomon Islands will continue to contextualize the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction through our National Disaster Management Plan, and national and sectoral development programmes, with the leadership of Government, and the support from NGOs, the private sector, communities, as well as our regional and international partners.

Hon Sofu called for greater support for countries with greater disposition to disaster risk, by readily and predictably availing financial and technological resources for risk reduction including disaster preparedness and comprehensive early warning system to the same or higher level as for disaster responses. His call was made against the backdrop that global humanitarian assistance is generally made available after a disaster takes place, whereas risk reduction is mostly left to countries and communities to wrestle with.

He said climate change is already impacting our islands and economy. As such, the Solomon Islands and other Pacific countries are in constant mode of recovery from disasters. But the burden of recovery and building back better and stronger following disasters should not inundate our vulnerable economies with debts.

The APMCDRR is the regional platform in the Asia-Pacific for cooperation on disaster risk reduction and the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This year, Australia is partnering with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction to host the conference in Brisbane.

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MECCDM statement