MAQALEVU SETTLEMENT DISASTER RISK REDUCTION WORKSHOP

Fiji Hub Achievement Report December 2012

In the months following the March 30th Flooding disaster. Nadi Red Cross has continued to work with local communities to enhance disaster risk reduction and preparedness in the Nadi Region. This has involved a process of assessing and identifying specifically vulnerable villages and settlements.

Maqalevu Settlement located on a low lying area east of tidal mangroves and the Port Denerau development was identified as being one of the most at risk flood zones in the area. Between August and September, the Red Cross ran an initial disaster risk reduction workshop which involved the amassing of data on all elements of the settlements disaster profile which included the historical mapping of disasters affecting the area, profiling of daily routines, identification of daily challenges, mapping of home locations, documentation of current evacuation plans, major risks, sources of income, etc. This data was collected through a series of team tasks, lectures and group projects facilitated by the Red Cross Disaster Risk Reduction team. This information was then compiled into a detailed document. Two Months later on the 26th of November, our team returned to the settlement community hall to present the data, recap on definitions of disasters, risks and capacity, and ultimately to empower the community to draw up a disaster management plan based on the data. After almost eight hours of discussions and group tasks, the Red Cross team and the Maqalevu Community put together the first draft of a management plan that has been drawn up for the community by the community to address the specific issues related to the specific location, vulnerabilities, and available capacities in Maqalevu Settlement. This process has proved to both the settlement members and the facilitators that an organized community centered approach to Risk Reduction has huge benefits Firstly, the community was able to, as a group, share best practice and put forward simple solutions to response and prevention. Secondly, the exercise ensured that there were clear goals for the community to work towards together. Thirdly, the specific outside support and expertise that is required to ensure the safety of this community was clarified and can now be directed to the government and relevant agencies.

We now have a huge amount of data on Maqalevu, the challenges the area faces in disasters, and information on the way the village has responded. Looking through the hand drawn risk maps, brainstorming notes, and group created charts on solutions to food shortages, water contamination, flood house prep, etc, the team was really impressed by the information that had come to the surface and it was clear that the community had significant experience in dealing with disasters. It also became clear that there were specific factors and problems that led to this settlement's vulnerability to these disasters and the Red Cross team was confident that this exercise and the resulting data could now be used to better inform the next steps taken by both the local community and the government towards reducing the risks that Maqalevu faces during disasters.

The majority of the findings confirmed that the proximity of this low lying land to both rivers and the oceans paired with a lack of proper drainage had exasperated the vulnerability of this settlement to flooding. Futhermore the lack of protection from high winds leaves many of the buildings exposed to potential damage. A series of long term plans with regards to the way the land is drained, water pipes protected, and settlement homes built, along with more options for emergency care and transport have the potential of greatly reducing the overall disaster risk experienced in this particular area of Nadi.