Fiji validates national risk profiling approach to strengthen disaster resilience
Fiji is moving to standardise how disaster risk is understood and managed nationwide, following the validation and pilot testing of a new Risk Profiling Methodology designed to guide planning, investment, and resilience-building across sectors.
Led by the National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO), the approach introduces a consistent framework for assessing hazards, exposure, vulnerability and coping capacity, addressing persistent gaps in how risk information is generated and used for decision-making.
More than 80 representatives from government, civil society, technical agencies and development partners met in Suva from 28 April to 1 May to validate the methodology and test its application using real scenarios. The process enabled stakeholders to refine key components and assess how risk results can better inform priorities at national and community levels.
The methodology has been co-developed by the NDRMO with technical and financial support from the Pacific Community (SPC) through the European Union-funded Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific Phase II project. It directly supports the implementation of the National Disaster Risk Management Act 2024.
Acting Permanent Secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Risk Management, Mitieli Cama, said the initiative strengthens Fiji’s ability to make informed decisions on risk. He noted that a shared methodology enables clearer identification of priority risks, more targeted investment and more effective coordination across sectors.
SPC Officer in Charge of the Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division, George Beck, said strengthening risk understanding is central to building resilience, particularly as climate and disaster impacts intensify across the Pacific.
European Union (EU) First Counsellor Carine Hanssens said the approach will support more transparent and inclusive risk management, improving access to information and ensuring that vulnerable groups are better considered in planning processes.
Findings from the validation and pilot will inform final revisions before the methodology is endorsed and rolled out. It is expected to underpin the development of Fiji’s future National Disaster Risk Information System and support alignment with national and global frameworks, including the National Development Plan, Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
About the Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific Project
The Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific (BSRP) project is a EUR 14 million, ACP-EU Disaster Risk Reduction Program initiative funded by the EU and implemented by SPC in 15 countries across the Pacific and Timor Leste.