Abstract:
The World Bank policy note 'not if, but when' shows the Pacific island countries to be among the worlds most vulnerable to natural disasters. Since 1950, natural disasters have directly affected more than 3.4 million people and led to more than 1,700 reported deaths in the region (excluding Papua New Guinea). In the 1990s alone, reported natural disasters cost the Pacific Islands region US$2.8 billion (in real 2004 value). The traditional approach of 'wait and mitigate' is a far worse strategy than proactively managing risks. This Solomon Islands assessment begins by explaining the context of the country in relation to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaption. It follows with sections on the key country findings and detailed country assessment that focus on some key components relevant to Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) achievement: adopting and mainstreaming policies, data and knowledge, risk and vulnerability assessments, monitoring and evaluation, awareness raising and capacity building, planning and budgetary processes, and coordination. From this assessment, possible opportunities for addressing the identified gaps and needs within the HFA are presented in the final section. The potential opportunities for future support are proposed in annex A.