Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific Final Report Anna Gero, Stephanie Fletcher, Michele Rumsey, Jodi Thiessen, Natasha Kuruppu, James Buchan, John Daly and Juliet Willetts DISASTER RESPONSE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PACIFIC Understanding the Pacific’s adaptive capacity to emergencies in the context of climate change University of Technology, Sydney AUTHORS Anna Gero (University of Technology, Sydney) Stephanie Fletcher (University of Technology, Sydney) Michele Rumsey (University of Technology, Sydney) Jodi Thiessen (University of Technology, Sydney) Natasha Kuruppu (University of Technology, Sydney) James Buchan (University of Technology, Sydney) John Daly (University of Technology, Sydney) Juliet Willetts (University of Technology, Sydney) Published by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility 2013 ISBN: 978-1-921609-99-2 NCCARF Publication 28/13 Australian copyright law applies. For permission to reproduce any part of this document, please approach the authors. Please cite this report as: Gero, A, Fletcher, SM, Rumsey, M, Thiessen, J, Kuruppu, N, Buchan, J, Daly, J & Willetts, J 2013, Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 203 pp. Acknowledgement: This work was carried out with financial support from the Australian Government (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. The role of NCCARF is to lead the research community in a national interdisciplinary effort to generate the information needed by decision-makers in government, business and in vulnerable sectors and communities to manage the risk of climate change impacts. Researchers also gratefully acknowledge the participation of interviewees from Australian, New Zealand and Pacific organisations – your contributions to the research are highly appreciated. Members of the Project Reference Group are also thanked for their useful contribution to the research: • Dr. Kirstie Méheux, Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC/SPC); • Ms Beatrice Tabeu, Caritas Papua New Guinea; • Dr. Matthew Inman, CSIRO; • Ms. Lisa Conlon, Asia Pacific Emergency Disaster Nursing Network (APEDNN); • Ms. Kathleen Fritsch, World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office; • Prof. Pelenatete Stowers, South Pacific Chief Nursing Midwifery Officer’s Alliance (SPCNMOA); • Prof. Anthony Zwi, Global Health and Development, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University of New South Wales, and • Ms. Helen Horn, AusAID Humanitarian Partnership Agreement. Disclaimer The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth or NCCARF, and neither the Commonwealth nor NCCARF accept responsibility for information or advice contained herein. Cover image © 2012 Rachel Nankivel Research outputs in this series: FULL RESEARCH REPORT: Gero, A, Fletcher, SM, Rumsey, M, Thiessen, J, Kuruppu, N, Buchan, J, Daly, J & Willetts, J 2013, Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 203 pp. COUNTRY REPORTS: • Country Report – Vanuatu • Country Report – Samoa • Country Report – Fiji • Country Report – Cook Islands POLICY BRIEFS: • Understanding the Pacific’s adaptive capacity to emergencies in the context of climate change: Policy Brief for Australian Stakeholders. • Understanding the Pacific’s adaptive capacity to emergencies in the context of climate change: Policy Brief for Pacific Regional Stakeholders. • Understanding the Pacific’s adaptive capacity to emergencies in the context of climate change: Policy Brief for Pacific Island Country stakeholders. BACKGROUND REVIEWS: • Background Review: Disaster Response System of Four Pacific Island Countries. • Projected climate change impacts in the Pacific: A summary. • Review of Australia’s Overseas Disaster and Emergency Response Sector See websites for these and additional research outputs: www.isf.uts.edu.au www.nmh.uts.edu.au/whocc/ Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 2 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 15 1.1 Objectives of the research ............................................................................ 15 1.2 Setting the context ........................................................................................ 16 1.3 Scope of the research ................................................................................... 20 1.4 Structure of this report .................................................................................. 21 2. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 22 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Stakeholder engagement .............................................................................. 22 2.3 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................. 23 2.4 Ethics ........................................................................................................... 26 2.5 Background reviews and stakeholder mapping ............................................. 26 2.6 Australian stakeholder interviews .................................................................. 27 2.7 Case study country selection ........................................................................ 27 2.8 Case study country interviews and workshops .............................................. 28 2.9 Data analysis ................................................................................................ 29 2.10 Limitations .................................................................................................... 29 3. ARCHITECTURE AND AGENCY .................................................................... 31 3.1 Architecture .................................................................................................. 34 3.2 Agency ......................................................................................................... 41 3.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 47 4. REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE ........................ 48 4.1 Australia’s disaster response system ............................................................ 50 4.2 Coordinating mechanisms ............................................................................ 58 4.3 International and regional disaster response system .................................... 60 4.4 Pacific perspectives on incoming disaster assistance ................................... 62 4.5 Caribbean perspective on disaster management .......................................... 64 4.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 65 5. REGIONAL HEALTH CARE CAPACITY FOR DISASTER RESPONSE ......... 66 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 66 5.2 Health workforce governance, policy and management ................................ 68 5.3 Health care capacity, skills and competencies .............................................. 72 5.4 Human resources for health training and workforce development ................. 74 Disaster response and climate change in the Pacific i 5.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 76 6. FIJI ................................................................................................................... 77 6.1 Country background...................................................................................... 77 6.2 Humanitarian needs ...................................................................................... 81 6.3 Key determinants of adaptive capacity in Fiji ................................................ 85 6.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 95 7. VANUATU ........................................................................................................ 96 7.1 Country background...................................................................................... 96 7.2 Humanitarian needs .................................................................................... 100 7.3 Key determinants of adaptive capacity in Vanuatu ...................................... 103 7.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 115 8. COOK ISLANDS ............................................................................................ 117 8.1 Country background.................................................................................... 117 8.2 Humanitarian needs .................................................................................... 121 8.3 Key determinants of adaptive capacity in Cook Islands ............................... 124 8.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................