Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction
Fiji’s United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027 was developed with a comprehensive risk analysis integrated from the outset. Recognizing the country’s acute vulnerability to climate change, cyclones, flooding, sea-level rise and economic shocks, the UNSDCF underscored the importance of resilience-building and disaster risk reduction (DRR) across all sectors-not limited to environmental or disaster portfolios, but extending to health, education, gender, and economic sectors.
Concurrently, Fiji updated key national frameworks, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2018-2030 and the Climate Change Act 2021. These instruments were directly informed by risk and vulnerability assessments that also contributed to the UNSDCF.
The National DRR Policy is aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and incorporates core principles from the UNSDCF, including a whole-of-society approach, strengthened risk governance, investment in risk reduction, and the principle of building back better.
The coordination between the Government of Fiji and the UN system was notably robust, particularly through the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). This ensured a bi-directional flow of risk information-informing both the UNSDCF and national DRR strategies.
Fiji has transitioned from a reactive model of disaster response to a proactive, risk-informed development paradigm-saving lives, safeguarding infrastructure, and bolstering resilience to future shocks to safeguard development. The evolution of its DRR policies in tandem with the UNSDCF has repositioned resilience and risk management as central elements of national development, rather than peripheral emergency response mechanisms.
Key impacts
- Mainstreaming DRR across sectors: Risk reduction is now integrated into planning, budgeting and implementation across education, health, infrastructure, gender equality and climate policy. For instance, new schools and health facilities must be cyclone-resilient by design.
- Strengthened risk governance and institutions: The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management has received enhanced capacity and resources. Local authorities now have clearer mandates for disaster preparedness and early action. Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) initiatives at the village level empower communities to manage risk.
- Improved access to climate finance and international support: With coherent, risk-informed national strategies, Fiji has secured funding from sources such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), supporting major investments in resilient infrastructure development and early warning systems.
- Enhanced early warning and anticipatory action systems: With support through the UNSDCF, Fiji has upgraded early warning systems for cyclones, tsunamis and floods, linking them to community evacuation plans and drills. Anticipatory actions such as evacuation and supply pre-positioning now occur before hazards strike, reducing casualties and economic losses.
- Resilient recovery through “Build Back Better” principles: Post-disaster reconstruction projects-such as those following Tropical Cyclone Harold in 2020-have not merely restored infrastructure but have improved it to better withstand future events.
Lessons learned for replication and adaptation
- Risk-informed UNSDCFs anchor DRR in national development: In Fiji, the UNSDCF served as a strategic platform to align government priorities with international support and evidence-based risk analysis. It enabled integration of DRR at national, sectoral and community levels.
- Political leadership and institutional coordination are essential: The success of Fiji’s approach is attributed to strong leadership from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Disaster Management, coupled with cross-sectoral coordination among ministries.
- Localization and community participation are critical: CBDRM initiatives have ensured that national DRR policies are locally owned and contextually relevant, integrating indigenous knowledge into planning and action.
- UNSDCFs support resource for DRR and resilience investments: A clearly articulated, risk-informed development agenda helped Fiji attract international climate and development finance, while also catalyzing partnerships with civil society and the private sector.
- Policy coherence between DRR and climate change enhances outcomes: Fiji developed its Climate Change Act 2021 and National DRR Policy in a coordinated manner, reinforcing synergies and avoiding policy fragmentation.
- Investing in risk information systems strengthens accountability: Fiji’s efforts to enhance data systems-including hazard mapping, GIS, and disaggregated vulnerability data-have improved planning, monitoring and targeted interventions.