Disasters continue to have a significant impact on the development of Pacific Island countries. In recent years several countries have suffered from the events of tropical cyclones. In 2015 Tropical Cyclone Pam caused widespread damage to Vanuatu amounting to 63% of Vanuatu's rural population. The 2015-2016 drought in the Republic of the Marshall Islands caused significant disruptions to national production, with a loss of 3.4% of RMI's GDP. In 2016, Cyclone Winston Struck Fiji and caused damage and losses equivalent to 31% of Fiji's GDP, In 2018 Cyclone Gita caused economic loss to Tonga equivalent to 37.8% of GDP. In January 2022 Tonga was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami which resulted in economic damage of approximately USD90.4 million.
The Pacific DRR Ministers meeting will be focusing on Risk Informed development, Disaster preparedness and response, Resilient recovery and Commitment to Action that will culminate in a "Declaration" issued by Ministers to reflect their commitment to action to address key priorities in resilience strengthening in the Pacific.
The meeting will be held at the Sofitel Hotel, Denarau Island, Nadi, Fiji on the 14th - 16th of September 2022 and will be conducted using a hybrid format to accommodate those Ministers that are unable to attend in-person and those that may still be unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions