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C O N T E N T

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1. IN T R O D U C T IO N ............................................................................................................. 1

2. PR IN C IP LE A IM S A N D O B JE C T IV E S ............................................................................. 1

3. D IS A S T E R M A N A G E M E N T S T R U C T U R E ................................................................. 2

3.1 National D isaster C ounc il.............................................................................................. 2

3 .2 National D isaster Management O ffice ............................................................................ 2

3 .3 Provincial D isaster C o m m itte e ....................................................................................... 3

4 . P R O M IN E N T A R E A S OF CONCERN................................................................................ 4

A 4.1 E ffective Health Delivery..................................................................................................4

4 .2 Safe W ater And Proper Sanita tion .................................................................................... 5

4 .3 Adequate Food Production And Supply................................................................................5

4 .4 Proper And Secured Shelter............................................................................................... 6

5. M A N A G E M E N T OF D IS A S T E R ............................................................................ .... 7

5.1 Health Aspect In Disaster Management.............................................................................. 8

5.2 W ater and Sanitation Aspects In Disaster Management.................................................... 11

5.3 Food Aspects in Disaster Management............................................................................... 12

5 .4 Shelter Aspects In Disaster Management............................................................................14

5.5 General Response To Disaster Warning.............................................................................. 14

5.6 Roles o f Community Leaders In Disaster Management........................................................ 15

6. C O NCLUSIO N................................................................................................................... 16

7. REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 17e8. AN N EX UR E S .................................................................................................................... 18

A. National Disaster Operational Chart................................................................ 18

B. Map o f Solomon Islands................................................................................... 18

»

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CCG Central Control Group

NDC National Disaster Council

NDMO National Disaster Management Office

NDMP National Development Management Plan

NGO Non Government Organisation

DAF - Department o f Agriculture And Fisheries

OCIET Department o f Commerce, Industries, Employment and Tourism

DDP Department o f Development Planning

DMEW Department o f Mines, Energy and Water

DHCA Department o f Home And Cultural A ffa irs

M HM S M in is try Health And Medical Services

DPGRD Department o f Provincial Government And Rural Development

DPNS Department o f Police And National Security

MTW CA M in is try o f Transport, Works, Communication And Aviation

PDC Provincial Disaster Committees

SIWA · Solomon Islands W ater A uthority

1. IN TR O D U C TIO N

The Solomon Islands consists o f six main islands and hundreds of smaller ones .These islands are

located between la titudes 7-11 degrees south and longitude 156-163 degrees east. (Annexure B). The

geographical location of the country is in an area where cylcones and earthquakes are quite prevalent.

Other related disasters like landslides, flooding and drought also occurred from time to time. These

disasters have posed great risks to the vulnerable population of 4 25 ,17 5 people, as estimated ir 1997.

A number o f these natural disasters m ust have battered these islands in the past centuries

unrecorded. In 1980, the episodes o f cyclones have become more frequent. In 1986, the biggest one

(cyclone Namu) battered the islands and in flic ted massive damage and caused 100 deaths. The

psychological, physical, environmental and economical trauma experienced, has remained until today.

The general population's fear of cyclones in the months of November to April, is inevitable. Each

year the communities aw a its another battering by the strong winds, rain, and high seas.

2. PR IN C IPLE A IM S AN D O BJEC TIVES

This booklet is targeted a t those who w ill be work ing closely w ith the communities in the event of

disasters. The aims and objectives of th is booklet are:

1. To better understand the present disaster management in frastucture and the specific

functions th a t enhance quick fac ilita tion of disaster related activ ities, utilising the correct

channels, before, during and a fte r disaster s ituations.

2. To identify prominent health related areas during disaster s ituations and indicate some

im portant remedial activ it ies inorder to minimise its impact on the population a ffected.

3. To identify and outline important disaster management plans and activ it ies before, during

and a fte r a disaster s ituation, Dy me government, non-government organisations, private sectors,

churches and the communities at large.

3.1 National Disaster Council

The National Disaster Council (NDC) responsible to the M in ister o f Home and Cultural A ffa irs for

assisting the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) in the execution of their duties associated w ith

m itigation and preparedness programs and also to provide technical advice and resource to support the

Central Control Group (CCG) during disaster operations.

The council also conduct meetings th a t review and discuss disaster plans and related programs of

actions identified by NDMO and ensure th a t the comm itment of their respective department or organization

is provided to fac ilita te the implementation o f plans and achievement o f program objectives.

The council is also responsible fo r activating the central control group in response to a given

threat and establishing other committees or control groups in response to an emergency s ituation.

The NDC Committee composition comprises o f the fo llow ing government offices:

DHCA Permanent Secretary · Chairperson

DTWCA Representative

M HM S - Representative

DPGRD · Representative

OAF Representative

DDR Representative

MPNS · Commissioner o f Police

M CTA - D irector o f Meteorology

MEM M - Representative

Other members can be coopted to NDC by the chairman as and when the situation requires such representation.

3.2 National Disaster Management Office

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) is responsible to the NDC chairman fo r the

development, implementation and daily management of disaster m itigation, preparedness activ it ies and fo r the development o f maintenance o f disaster response mechanisms procedures.

The specific responsibilities o f NDMO include:

• The development, testing and maintenance o f disaster plans and operational procedures.

• The development o f d isaster awareness and education programs.

• The identif ica tion and conduct o f disaster management training courses, including selection of

partic ipants fo r a ttendance a t regional and international courses.

• Providing assistance and advise to government departments, NGO's and private sector in the development o f emergency plans and response procedures.

• Developing and maintaining an emergency operational disaster management activ ities.

• Providing a focal point fo r regional disaster management activities.

• Other d isaster management related duties as directed by the chairman.

3.3 Provincial Disaster Committee

The Provincial Disaster Committee (PDC) is responsible to the NDMO in executing the fo llow ing disaster

management tasks.

• Dissemination o f public education material and conduct o f awareness activ it ies in accordance w ith

national programs but relative to local requirement.

• Develop provincial disaster plans and operational procedures to compliment national planning

arrangement.

• Develop a provincial assessment and relief coordination mechanism to compliment and support national

arrangements.

• Iden tify and document provincial safety/evacuation shelters.

• Inform ation d issem ina tion .

4. PROMINENT AREAS OF CONCERN

4.1 Effective Health Delivery

m tne event of a na tui a\ disaster, he i t a drought, earthquake, flooding or cyclone, i t is im portant

to remember th a t health problems s u u i «3 diarrhnea, under nutrition, skin diseases, red eyes, respiratory

diseases -,r;d Iniufies do a lw ays occur as consequences of a natural d isas te r Some o f these health

problems may o a u ; hi epidemic, such -is diarrhoea which can be very serious in children. Medical

emergencies such as haemorrhage, shocks, head injuries, fractures or dislocations, e lectrocution, drowning,

respiratory distress and psycho-socio stresses are also common .

These health problems and medical emergencies do occur because o f the fo llow ing facto rs :·

• Damages and contamination o f w a te r sources and systems during cyclone or earthquake or floods

may cause an outbreak o f diarrhoeal diseases.

• Drying up o f w a te r sources or streams during long drought o ften resulted in gross w a te r shortage

which may increase skin diseases and poor personal hygiene.

• Destruction o f food and food sources especially during cyclone and drought may cause s tarvation and

could lead to under nutrition.

^ Exposure to cold w ea ther during cyclone can contribute to respiratory disease (eg: cold, bronchitis and

pneumonia). The situation can be made w orse i f the shelter (house) is destroyed during the disaster (cyclone).

• Loose artic les or items blown w ide ly by the w ind, fallen trees and landslide, may cause serious injuries

or death.

e D a r n e d ciectrical pow er lines can be a t risk o f causing electrocution.

:: vsr” im portant to pm pm hpr th a t w h a t ever actions is put in place, w he the r in the m itigation

p reparedness: : : ' ;*onse and rcccvary stages should have an aim w ith measures th a t w il l best help to

preserve the hMdii'· nf the populace in the areas th a t are prone to the natural hazards. More on this w il l be

discussed on . r . : : : :5 i^ n , preparedness and rehabilitation (response and recovery) in section 3 .

4 .2 S a fe W a te r A n d P ro p e r S a n i t a t e

The existence o f w a te r means life to the human race. I t is one o f the basic human needs interms

o f health and survival. I t is therefore im portant th a t the provision o f clean and safe w a te r is available a t all

time and close to where people live.

In many villages o f Solomon Islands, w a te r is in abundant, however, there are certa in a re a s , especially in

the outer islands where fresh w a te r is scares, and usually they are the m ost a ffec ted areas in the event o f

a drought or any other d isaster th a t causes damage to the w a te r sources. While some villages are

privileged to have improved w a te r systems constructed fo r them by the Rural W ater Supply And Sanitation

(RWSS) Unit in the M in is try o f Health and Medical Services or other NGO agencies, some o f them are still

using their trad itional w a te r source such as the dug out w e ll and the running streams. These sources can

still be very useful during the natura l disaster, such as drought, cyclone and flooding.

In urban areas, the Solomon Islands W ater Au thority (SIWA) is responsible fo r providing adequate,

clean and safe w a te r to its citizens. I t 's duty is to make sure th a t w a te r is available a t all times, even during the disaster period.

The consequences o f disaster tow ards w a te r interms o f its availability w he the r i t is due to

damages and destruction or drying up o f w a te r sources, p u t the lives o f the populace a ffec ted a t risk of

health problems and to an extend where loss o f lives can be the result. This may not due to d irect result o f

health problems encountered by those a ffected, but also due to as a d irect result o f unavailability o f w a te r during the disaster such as drought.

The o ther im portant risk fa c to r is the contamination, or pollution o f w a te r source* or system

during the disaster (cyclone and flooding), which may cause an outbreak o f diarrhoeal diseases as

discussed in section 2 .1. It is also im portant to bear in mind th a t clean and safe w a te r during the disaster

period w il l improve the health s ta tus o f the populace.

The problem o f sanita tion during and a fte r disaster is an im portant area th a t needs to be

addressed inorder to minimise the spread o f faecal borne diseases such as diarrhoea, w orm in festa tion and

etc.

4 .3 A d e q u a te Food P ro d u c t io n A n d S u p p ly

Food is jus t as im portant as w a te r. I t is also one o f the human basic need th a t one cannot go

w i th o u t In the Solomon Islands people in rural areas g row most o f the ir ow n food using trad ition methods

o f farming, while in urban centres m ost people depend very much on sales o f local produces from the

m arkets and imported food from the shops. N ow w ith the existence o f modern farm ing technology being

introduced, and advices provided to the local farmers on improved farm ing systems or gardening coupled

w ith the trad itional farming practises, the food production and its availability is not so much a problem. In

other w ords there is adequate food in the country.

Further to that, the access of m ost people to sea food and other traditional food such as the fern, sago

palm, swamp taro (kakake) and many others have indicated th a t people a lw ays have enough to eat.

However, there are other areas in the country who are less fortunate in terms o f availability o f local food

supplies. This may be due to in fe r t i l i ty o f land or other fac to rs such as unavailability or shortage o f land fo j

food production resulting from over population. These art; the areas or islands th a t are most vulnerable

interms of food shortage in the event of any natural disaster such as drought cyclone, flooding, etc. This

does not mean tha t the fo rtunate areas do not su ffe r from the consequences o f a natural disaster.

Obviously it means tha t the vulnerable areas are usually severely damaged than the fo rtuna te parts of

the country. This is very essential when determining food supplies and distribution to the a ffec ted areas

in the event of a disaster.

Food storage and preservation is not a new thing in Solomon Islands. Traditionally, people in Solomon

Islands have been doing it and i t is s til l in practiced today. Good examples are drying o f breadfru it in

Temotu, drying o f nuts in Western Province, storage of excess traditional food such as yam, pana, Chinese

taro and many others. Such traditional practices o f food storage and preservation should be maintained,

improved and be included in the management of the disaster relief programme.

This means tha t people should be educated o f their existing w ays o f food storage and preservation by

informing them o f the usefulness in the relief programme during the disaster period. Traditional methods of

storage and preservation o f food should also be in th6 mind of people as a preparedness strategy in the

even of a disaster tha t may occur and not just for the purpose of storage and preserving fo r fu tu re use.

There are traditional food such as swamp taro (kakake) and others tha t can w iths tan d disasters like

drought and cyclone. Such food crop should be encouraged in other parts of the country, and see tha t is

be grown. Preservation and protection of planting materials during drought conditions is very important.

It is essential to store or preserve planting materials besides streams or w a te r to avoid insects destroying

them.

This w ill help a lot during the crop rehabilitation a fte r the disaster. The m ost im portant point to remember

is tha t the people should be educated, encouraged and prepared to help themselves in the event of a

disaster. The external assistance provided to them through the o ffice of the NDMO should be regarded as

a supplementary to w ha t people have already done to help themselves get back to normal life again.

4.4 Proper And Secured Shelter

Shelter is an im portant and basic constituent ol life. It enhances the quality of life o f families

through the promotion o f togetherness, protection, and sa fety of families during disaster.

The situation in Solomon Islands is such th a t m ost rural people either live in their own built homes

or together w ith their parents and relatives. The kind of homes built in rural areas are mostly made o f /

temporary bush materials which are not disaster proof and therefore cannot w iths tand natura l disasters.

In parts of the country like South Guadalcanal, Rennell Bellona, Temotu and M akira which have

been battered by cyclones almost every year around. This has cause continuous damage and destructions

to homes and gardens. To date many people are stil l re luctant to rebuild their homes in fear o f similar

calamities reoccurance.

Unless appropriate plans are implemented to educate and assist our Solomon Islanders to

construct d isaster proof houses or buildings, our people w ill continue to experience more damages and

destruction to their homes w hich w il l greatly a ffe c t their lives and w ell being .

The im portant message to put across to the populace o f this country especially the rural dwellers

is to make sure th a t the foundation of all newly built houses must be firm to w iths tand any disaster,

although i t is built from temporary bush materials.

In urban centres all proposed buildings to be constructed must abide to regulations and standards

approved by the responsible authority . This should enable all urban dwellers to be secured during cyclones

and earth quakes.

5. M A N A G E M EN T OF D ISA STER

The overall concept o f disaster management is to reduce the impact o f disaster on people and the

national economy, through the stages listed below:

Disaster management covers three (3) important phases in its development. They are known as

preparedness, response and the recovery phases. The details o f each phase are as fo llows:

A. Preparedness Phase

This phase consisted o f measures which should enable governments, organizations, communities

and individuals to respond rapidly and e ffective ly to disaster s ituation. Measures to be considered during

the phase are as fo llows:

• Formulation and maintenance of counter disaster plans

• Public Education and awareness

• Proper disaster legislation

• Training programs

This phase consists of measures which should be implemented immediately prior and a fte r a

disaster. Such measures are directed tow ards saving life and protecting properties. They are as fo llows:

• Implementation o f plans

• Activa tion of counter disaster system

• Search and Rescue

• Provision o f emergency food, shelter, medical assistance, etc.

• Survey and Assessment

• Evacuation measures.

C. Recovery Phase

This phase consists of a process by which communities and the nation are assisted to return to

their normal w a y of living fo llow ing a disaster. This sometimes takes 5-10 years or even more. This

process involve:

• Restoration o f Essential services

• Rehabilitation of Schools, housing, etc,

• Reconstruction o f economic in frastructu re such as transport, communication, etc.

Since the natural disasters are unavoidable, the best tha t can be done is to try and minimize its impact.

5.1 Health Aspects In Disaster Management

Each natural disaster has its own characteristics. Some disasters can be predicted (eg: cyclone

or floods), w h ils t others occur w ith o u t any warning (eg: earthquake). Consequences o f these disasters

have various impact on the populations health sta tus (as discussed in section 2.1). Some o f these have

caused disease outbreaks, s tarvation and sometimes loss o f life.

Such consequences can be minimised or alleviated if appropriate and urgent remedial actions are taken by

the local health authorities and communities a ffected. This often depends on w he ther the is is a good s ta te

of preparedness or if the authorities and personnel concerned are well organised to deal w ith such

disasters.

Health sector response is crucial during and a fte r a disaster strikes. Health personnels needs

to be prepared lo attend to human casualties in d if f icu lt situations.

A. 1 P re p a re d n ess

In the event of a disaster the local health personnel should immediately become an active reassuring and

organising force to which the community must refer This needs good planning and organisation and

networking. Inorder to be e ffective, the health workers should:·

• Be Trained to play this roles during disaster.

• Train voluntary workers in First aid procedures.

• Possess certain qualities such as:

Full knowledge of the community

Know about common health problems

Ability to estimate requirements and resources

Ab ility to access w h a t is missing and obtain in time.

• In itiate disaster preparedness activ ities fo r the population and local communities.

• Prepare and organise the health centre and hospital.

It is paramount th a t current disaster preparedness plans should be updated and rehearsed from time to

time over a given period of time. Information on disasters and analysis o f past experience are also

valuable to consider in form ulating plans and strategies.

A .2 Response

People do provide assistance to a ffected families, neighbours and friends by transpc rtmg them to

health facilities, providing food, shelter and so forth during and a fte r disasters. Fear and panic in the

communities on such occasion, must he countered by restoring calmness, provision of in form ation and

instruction on w ha t to do. The fo llow ing activ ities are routine responses to disaster casualties.

• Rescue Operation

• Application of f irs t aid and treatm ent of any casualties on the spot.

• Organisation o f Health facilities or a lternative sites and medical resources.

• Treatment and care o f casualties

• External assistance may be forthcoming by w ay of:

Evacuation o f casualties to the nearest hospital.

Supply of drugs and medical personnel to isolated areas needing assistance.

During the response the fo llow ing conditions are to be regarded as medical emergencies.

Haemorrhage, shock and cardiovascular failure

Head injuries, fractures, dislocations

Electrocution

Drowning

Respiratory distress

Exposure to tox ic substances

Psycho · social stresss

A.3 Recovery

Health management during this phase include the fo llowing:

Provirion o f routine care

Resumption o f normal programme Diseases monitoring and surveillance

Health Education and Promotion

Psychological counselling

Prevention of outbreaks o f diseases.

The medical needs m ust be assessed and a request fo r assistance and supplies placed through a

"Coordinating comm ittee". These needs are identified inorder to address the fo llow ing :

• Extra medical supplies

• Need tor specialist care

• Referral of patients fo r fu rthe r management.

Special a ttention should be focused on specific disaster related problems and the vulnerable target

population in the communities who are often a ffected. Some o f the common problems are as fo llow s:·

• Polluted w a te r supply

• Poor sanita tion

• Inadequate food supply

• Inadequate Immunization coverage

The vulnerable target population in the communities referred to above are as fo llows:

• Children

• Pregnant women

• Elderly

• Disable persons

It is very im portant th a t special a ttention be given to the above ta rge t population because they are more

vulnerable to health problems caused by disasters.

Health information and data should be collected on regular basis and reports sent to the coordinating

centre. Outbreaks o f diseases m ust be notified quickly and appropriate measures taken to control such

diseases.

5.2 Water And Sanitation Aspect In Disaster Management

The section presents measures tha t should be taken to deal w ith drinking w a te r supply and sanitation

before, during and a fte r a disaster strikes.

A. Safe Water Supply

A.1 Mitigation and Preparedness

• Chopping down o f trees a t the w a te r catchm ent areas m ust be restricted to avoid landslides burying

the w a te r source and drying it up.

• Big trees along the pipeline must be chopped to avoid any damage caused to the pipes by fallen trees

during a disaster.

• Preserve traditional drinking w a te r sources such as hand dug wells for use in the times of disaster.

Hill up enough w a te r containers (jerry cans) w ith drinking w a te r iiecoyss disasters may damage or pollute

w a te r sources.

A .2 Response

• Boil w a te r fo r drinking fo r a t least ten (10) minutes if obtained from unsafe w a te r source.

• Use w ha tever w a te r available fo r drinking only.

• Proper management and usage of w a te r no wastage.

• W ater rationing especially in drought situation.

A.3 Recovery

• Re-develop traditional w a te r sources if not done in the m itigation and preparedness stage.

• Report w a te r problem to health authority or o ther responsible organisation.

B. Proper Sanitation

• Proper installation and location o f to ile t fac ilities a t a safe site.

• Avoid indiscriminate disposal o f human w aste · use proper toilets.

• Community education on good personal hygiene practise.

5.3 Food Aspects In Disaster Management

The destruction o f food gardens, fru ittrees, etc, by natural d isaster is absolutely beyond human

control. Our communities m ust take heed o f all food related advises and be a lw ays prepared fo r any fu tu re

disasters.

A. Preparedness

The fo llow ing trad itional Agricu ltural crops have been identified and encouraged to be grown.

Kakake plant m ust be planted in available and suitable swam py areas. People m ust be aware o f quick

growing Crops like cassava, potatoes, vegetables and taro. All edible f ru it trees in the fo rest m ust be

identified, located and planted near the villages.

• Traditional method o f preserving food such as bread fru it drying in Temotu, should be also encouraged

as means of preparing fo r disaster. Other places where bread fru it is abundant should be encouraged

to do likewise.

During disaster warnings, food crops like banana, taro, cassava, pawpaw, must be bended or braised

strongly to avoid being blown down by the strong winds. It is important to save as much food as possible.

All edible traditional cabbages needs to be identified and made known to village people .

B. Response

Further to preparedness activities, it is equally essential th a t banana trees w ith ripe bunches be

harvested and stored. If there is likely to be flooding o f food gardens. Harvest and store your garden crops

(potato, taro, pana, etc) away in dry storages sheds. I t is im portant to save as much food as possible.

It is also im portant to preserve some planting materials from being to ta lly destroyed

or washed away during floods. In the case of drought i t is best to preserve planting materials near the

w a te r or streams to be replanted later. This is to avoid insects destroying them.

C. Recovery

A fte r a disaster s truck an area, people must obtain quick growing, high yielding and quick harvesting crops

from Agriculture division or from neighbours whose gardens were not destroyed by the disaster, eg:

cassava, pota to , taro, yam, etc fo r planting. Varieties of cassava and pota to crops can be planted and

harvested a fte r 2 or 3 months. It would also be w ise to try and cu ltiva te quick growing local vegetables

near the village. The fas t growing vegetables can be obtained from Agriculture Division and preserved

planting materials can now be used.

The emphasis should be to encourage the people to be prepared in the event o f a disaster. Proper

organised programme fo r rural population on Agriculture aspects to disaster management should minimse

disaster related problems because people have been made aware and are prepared to take appropriate

action before, during and a fte r a disaster.

Relief supplies obtained through the o ff ice of the NDMO should be regarded as a supplementary help.

People should not be encouraged to depend on this relief supplies.

5.4 Shelter Aspect In Disaster Management

The m ost im portant aspect in regard to shelter disaster management is to t r y and prevent more

damages and destruction o f homes. And i f damages do occur during a disaster, then i t should be very

minimal. Preparedness a t the warning stages is therefore very im portant because i t should assist a lo t during the response and recovery stages o f disaster.

The fo llow ings are very important preparatory measures to minimise possible damages and

destructions to homes and properties in the event o f a disaster:

All proposed building constructed in the urban centres must comply w ith the building codes and regulations

set up in 1989)90 . These codes should greatly improve building standards fo r the fu tu re and as a result

provide a sa fer community against the th rea t o f natural disasters such as cyclones and earthquakes. The

regulations can be obtained from physical planning o ffice o f Honiara Town Council, Departm ent o f Lands

and Housing, and Department o f Works.

• Provide general awareness o f the rural population on the importance o f constructing solid bush

material houses th a t could w iths tand cyclones and earthquakes.

• During the warning stage people should make available the fo llow ing items:

Plastic sheet

Knife

Nails

Hammer

Saw

Axe

These items should greatly assist in the reconstruction o f shelters during the response and rfcuovery phase

should there be major damages is caused to homes during the disaster.

5.5 General Response To Disaster Warning

Safe ty o f the general population is very vital, especially in the areas th a t are to be affected.

The communities m ust be m indful o f the messages th a t are put on the radio. I t is im portant to remember

tha t sa fe ty must comes firs t. In response to disaster warning, the fo llow ing measures should also be

considered:·

• Remove and properly s tock aw ay any loose items or objects th a t can be easily b lown o f f and causeinjuries.

• Move to higher grounds to avoid high seas and tidal waves.

• Chop down any ta ll coconut and trees near your house.

• Make sure th a t the fo llow ing im portant things are available on hand during disaster w arning.

M atches

Torch ligh t (w a te r proof)

Knife

Radio (must be functional)

Batteries

Plastic sheet

Hurricane lamp

These items should greatly assist in the reconstruction o f shelters during the response and recovery phase.

5.6 Roles Of Community Leaders In Disasaster

Community leaders have an im portant role to safe guard their communities from the unpredictable

impact o f natural disasters.

Their invaluable contributions in the preparedness, response and recovery shouldnot be ignored. The

fo llow ing are some o f the im portant activ it ies a community leader should be part of:

A. Preparedness

• Assist in form ulation o f comm unity disaster plans

• Involve in testing o f your disaster plans to ensure their e ffectiveness

• Involve in community disaster awareness activities

• Assist in Identification o f risk prove and safe areas

• Community Education on disaster

• Locate community w arning system and passing o f information

• Assist in search and rescue operations

• Assist in evacuation operations

e Assist in emergency rationing

• Assist in field survey and assessment

• Assist in providing basic medical treatm ent of v ictims and apply f irs t - aid task

C. R eco very

• Assist in relief supply d istribution

• Involve in rapid restoration of community essential services

• Assist in clearance and cleaning o f debris

• Help to rebuild and repair houses or shelter

• Assist the governments long term rehabilitation and reconstruction programme.

The local knowledge of our community leaders is very paramount in any disaster recovery programmes,

especially in the process o f identify ing immediate needs and requirements o f the community a fte r a

disaster. Their active contribution should an enhance e ffective response from the local provincial disaster

committee and the National Disaster Council fo r quick but e ffective restoration o f vita l services to the

communities a fflic ted.

6. CONCLUSION

The e ffe c t of National Disasters on the human race is phenomenal. Its ca tastroph ic impact on the

already impoverished developing countries have in flic ted huge economic burdens on their governments.

Locally, the Solomon Islands have experienced vast damages caused by cyclones which claimed

some lives and le f t thousands homeless. Some provinces are stil l recovering from the damages in flic ted on

their population.

Although these disasters have been addressed by the National D isaster Management o ffice

(NDMO), i t has yet to fu lly implement its National Disaster Management Plan ( NDMP}. Other sectors like

the non-governmental organisation, churches, private sectors and the community m ust be part o f the

Management Plan. We m ust all put our e ffo r ts together to be fu lly equiped and prepared fo r any fu ture

calamities.

NATIONAL DISASTER OPERATIONAL (FUNCTIONAL)CHART

National Disaster

Management Office

PREP (R E D N E SS

Government Departments/

NGO'S

Provincial Disaster

Committees

Minister Responsible

National Disaster

Council

OPERATIONS

Central Control

Group

National Emergency

Operations Centre

Government Departments/

NGO's

Intentional

Assistance

RECOVERY

Technical Advisory

Team

Government Departments

NGO's

Provincial Disaster Province Disaster

Committees Committees

Ward Committees

Area Chiefs/

Leaders

COMMUNITIES DISASTER

AREAS

KECOVERY

PROGRAMS

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