Fires remain a serious hazard but are not reflected in disaster risk reduction plans.
“I’m sure you’ve come across fires,” Commissioner Central Division Josefo Navuku told participants at the Joint Coordination Committee meeting on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction yesterday.
“But when you look at our DRR plan, fire seems to be missing from the plan. Yet every week, every fortnight, you see fires come up.”
He said discussions with partners from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) highlighted that fire incidents were among the most common hazards faced by communities yet remained overlooked in formal planning.
“I’m not sure whether it can be included, but this is something we can discuss when the document is finalised.”
He said hazards such as fires, and water shortages occurred frequently and should not be treated as secondary risks.
“Apart from earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones, these are common occurrences, and some of them are related to weather patterns.”
