For many small island states, disaster risk reduction has been a significant concern. Frequently hit by natural disasters, exposed to the effects of climate change, and isolated from quick assistance, these nations have sought to work to emphasize disaster risk reduction in their development plans. According to an article in Devex, while funding for recovery has often been available, there are concerns that investments could be better made up front, driving efforts for prevention.
Says Litiana Bainimarama, principal office of Fiji’s National Disaster Management Office, of the shift from recovery to prevention, “That’s a plus, especially for us small island developing states where disasters take such a huge toll on our economic growth and social development.”
One of the nations most supportive of this disaster risk reduction mindset is Japan, which has offered a stand-by loan to Fiji for up to $50 million, provided that Fiji both implements and maintains a disaster risk reduction policy. Says Bainimarama, “The Government of Japan encourages us to implement disaster risk reduction and not just wait for things to happen and they would give us a loan, so it actually makes us implement DRR activities in-country. It’s a good mechanism.”
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