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Women are the most vulnerable group in society that continues to be devastated by natural disasters such as cyclones and floods, says the Minister for Women and Social Welfare Jiko Luveni.
Luveni made the comment at a Training of Trainers Gender, Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change which is currently being held at Suva’s Tanoa Plaza.
Participants were told that the social and economic losses have spiraled into millions of dollars through the loss of lives, the damage and destruction to properties and our natural environment and the ongoing re-building of peoples’ lives in their struggles to survive.
These unforeseen events she said, are expected to continue as our country is located in one of the most vulnerable and high risk disaster prone areas in the world, which include the cyclone belt region of the South West Pacific and also in the known “Pacific Ring of Fire”.
“Hence, Fiji’s geographical location makes her prone to flooding, landslides, high waves, droughts, fires, earthquakes and tsunamis.
With the global climatic changes, we are certain that cyclones and flooding will continue to intensify and with frequent occurrences; droughts will increase in severity and duration; sea levels and storm surges will increase as expected, resulting in salt water intrusion into soil and fresh water supplies; coastal erosions will increase and also evident will be the significant loss of mangrove areas; and marine lives will be lost as a direct result of coral bleaching.
The training continues today.
