SUVA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A top Fijian national disaster risk management official has called for strengthening community disaster preparedness and resilience urgently in the face of changing weather patterns and increasingly severe climate-related events.
The frequent occurrence of localized flooding indicates the growing impact of the climate, placing increased strain on communities already at high risk, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation on Friday quoted Napolioni Boseiwaqa, director of Fiji's National Disaster Risk Management Office, as saying.
Climate change is exposing shortcomings in disaster preparedness among vulnerable communities in the island country, he warned.
Although Fiji has not experienced a cyclone landfall in the past three years, there is no room for complacency, he added, warning that major climate-related events remain a serious threat, particularly for communities living in low-lying and flood-prone areas. ■