Community Lifelines Programme

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This year’s World Water Day to be celebrated on the 22nd of March focuses on the theme: "Water and Disasters. The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (http://www.unisdr.org/) and the World Meteorological Organisation (http://www.wmo.ch/index-en.html) has been charged with co-coordinating events on the day on a global scale. As in previous years, the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is coordinating the event for the Pacific region together with Live and Learn Environmental & Development Education.

Weather, climate and water resources can have a devastating impact on socio-economic development and on the well-being of humankind. According to the World Meteorological Organisation weather and climate-related extreme events, such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, storms, cyclones, floods and drought, account for nearly 75 per cent of all disasters. They lead to an enormous toll of human suffering, loss of life and economic damage. Monitoring these events, predicting their movements and issuing timely warnings are essential to mitigate the disastrous impact of such events on population and economy.

A regional example illustrating this years theme “Water and Disasters� is the recent Tropical Cyclone Ivy, which struck the Republic of Vanuatu late February this year. Tropical Cyclone Ivy had winds gusting to 180 km/hr and accompanying heavy rainfall, which left behind a clear trail of devastation as it routed through the center of the republic hitting every island from Penama down to Tafea. Around 11,000 houses were damaged with 54,000 affected people or a quarter of the national population. As Tropical Cyclone Ivy was slow moving over the country, the affected islands were further impacted with associated flood, uprooted trees and landslide damages. One of the many impacted sectors included water with over 95% of the affected islands reporting damages to water storage facilities, water sources and systems.

This year’s Pacific regional campaign has included the development of a board game and stickers addressing issues of water and disasters in a Pacific context, which have already been distribution to our member countries around the region. We have also organised a World Water Day 2004 Exhibition to mark the day and this year’s celebrations will be held at the Tanoa Plaza Hotel in Suva, Fiji. Organisations and individuals who will be attending, include 40 secondary and primary schools from around Fiji, NGO’s, the private sector, donor organisations and government ministries who will have an opportunity to be a part of displays and competitions.

Member countries have also taken the opportunity to carry out their own national campaigns.

We would like to acknowledge the support provided by the Department for International Development (DFID) for this years campaign.

We look forward to this year’s event and wish you all an enjoyable World Water Day 2004.









For further inquiries, please contact:

Kamal Khatri
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Officer
Community Lifelines Programme SOPAC
Fax: (679) 337 0040
Ph: (679) 338 1377
Email: kamal@sopac.org