IN efforts to improve the co-ordination of disaster awareness for the nation, the Ministry of Provincial Development has taken the lead role in ensuring everyone has access to information required to prepare for natural disaster.
A government statement quotes organisers of the National Disaster Awareness Week, which will be launched next week, as saying the event would focus on disaster preparedness and accessibility to disaster-related information by the public.
With the theme — Making cities/communities/town/villages resilient with the focus on invisible force women and children — Commissioner Eastern Netani Rika said the government had "organised this annual event in October as a measure to increase awareness".
"The theme is a proactive one. We need to prepare ourselves well to face natural disasters and the challenge is preparedness and we have roles to play in such situation but we need to prepare well," he said.
Meanwhile, celebrations that will feature in the Central, Western and Northern divisions will include disaster risk management courses, displays by the Fiji Red Cross and the National Fire Authority and oratory contests.
The official launch of the program will be held on October 9 with activities and awareness programs planned for the week.