<< More about the Community Risk Programme

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• Past Interventions
• Current Issues for PNG
• Programme Response

The Pacific is acknowledged as being among the most threatened regions in the world, with the continuing presence of natural, human induced, technological and environmental hazards. While the threats presented by these hazards may be seasonal or differ from country to country in respect to type, frequency or intensity, no country is immune to their devastating impacts.

The challenge of achieving sustainable development goals, including poverty alleviation and protection of the environment, cannot be achieved unless the impacts of disasters on vulnerable communities is taken into account. While not all risks to development result from the impact of disasters, the reduction of the potential for such events needs to be central to any programmes designed to achieve and maintain sustainable development. This potential can only be effectively reduced, in the context of the development process, by adopting a broader and more integrated approach to hazard mitigation and risk management.

The SOPAC Community Risk Programme offers such an approach to the management of community risk and targets three key areas: strengthening the resilience to disasters, mitigating the effects of hazards and mainstreaming risk management as part of the national development planning process. Through a High Level Advocacy strategy the Community Risk Programme is encouraging national commitment to the adoption of a whole of government approach to reducing community vulnerability and strengthening disaster risk management arrangements in order to improve national development planning processes in member countries.

Past Interventions

Previous interventions of the Community Risk Programme in Papua New Guinea have included:

• Input into the review of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action identified and documented.
• The development of the Papua New Guinea EVI score to determine the level of vulnerability.
• Development of a training course for PNG in collaboration with the Asia Foundation and the Office of Foreing Development Assistance [TAF/OFDA].
• Risk Analysis and evaluation completed for Lae, Papua New Guinea.
• The hosting of the 12th Pacific Regional Disaster Management Meeting in Madang.

Current Issues for PNG

The critical issues faced by Papua New Guinea as mentioned in the various development plans and national assessment reports which relate to the Community Risk Programme and are interrelated with the other programmes of SOPAC are:

• Island Vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change
• Review of the National Policy and Legislation addressing risk reduction
• Lack of educational materials to raise awareness on disaster preparedness
• Out of date contingency plans that relate to disaster reduction which need to be reviewed
• Community Disaster Preparedness
• Early Warnings in relation to natural hazards/disasters.

Programme Response

A comprehensive and strategic response is in place for the Community Risk Programme to address the needs of the PNG Islands in relation to the sustainable development issues mentioned above.

To standardise the level of assistance in the Pacific, the Community Risk Programme cuts across the development needs of the Pacific member countries. Regionally, the activities of the Community Risk Programme include:

• The provision of support where appropriate for PNG Islands’ representation at international training programmes, workshops and conferences.
• The provision of high-level advocacy to promote the mainstreaming of risk management through the application of CHARM.
• Conducting CHARM national training courses and workshops
• The provision of post disaster technical or institutional support following the impact of disasters.
• The environmental vulnerability index – a tool that assesses the vulnerability of the countries of the world to assist national stakeholders in decision-making and to influence policy to reduce vulnerabilities of Pacific communities.
• The development of a regional planning framework model to strengthen disaster management legislative and planning arrangements in Papua New Guinea
• The review of the preparedness and response capabilities of the PNG fire and emergency services.
• Development of PNG nationals at training courses and as representatives of the Pacific at regional forums.
• Regional training plan developed in partnership with other regional training providers.