Tonga, in particular, has been badly hit. Forty people have been injured and 50,000 people affected. Significant damage has been caused to critical infrastructure, including water supplies, public buildings, transport, and communications. The destruction of crops has hit livelihoods of several farmers.

The cyclone also affected Fiji’s southern Lau island group, 300km south-east of the capital Suva. The most pressing concern is again the loss of crops and the impact on farmers’ livelihoods.

Fiji’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy, which is aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, is currently being finalized. It is expected to be adopted in April, a major contribution to the achievement of Target (e) of the Sendai Framework which seeks a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020.

Mr. Terada’s trailblazing work in the field of seismic research was prompted by the devastation he witnessed as a result of the 1923 Great Japan Earthquake. He founded the Earthquake Research Institute at the Tokyo Imperial University and served as one of its senior professors.

Date:

21 Feb 2018

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNISDR AP)

Themes:

Governance

Hazards:

Cyclone, Earthquake

Countries:

Fiji