GOVERNMENTS should come up with recovery plans before natural disasters strike.
This was the conclusion at a recent workshop on disaster recovery attended by more than 40 professionals working in disaster recovery in Fiji and Samoa.
United Nations Development Program representative Knut Ostby said the recommendation would require co-ordinated and joint efforts from national and international actors, governments as well as non-government sectors.
"Leadership and ownership needs to be at the national level but international and regional partners stand ready to support," he said.
Mr Ostby highlighted the development of prioritised recovery and reconstruction plans as one approach that could enhance the delivery of disaster recovery programs, especially when external resources and capacity are required.
This, he said, could be used as a basis for more effective co-ordination and resource mobilisation purposes. "A framework recovery and reconstruction was developed after the tsunami in Samoa in September 2009 and was used to co-ordinate support from a range of regional and international agencies," he said.
"Similarly a recovery action plan was applied in Cook Islands after Cyclone Pat (Feb 2010) in order to co-ordinate recovery and reconstruction efforts. In both instances, these plans were effective in mobilising additional resources, and in accelerating and coordinating action."
Mr Ostby said the UN system and regional and international agencies could provide support in the implementation of disaster recovery programmes.