Panel: National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
Tracks
Coolangatta Room
| Tuesday, July 28, 2026 |
| 1:50 PM - 2:10 PM |
| Coolangatta Room |
Overview
George Connor, Australia Assists,
Mafua Maka, Tonga NDRMO,
Napolioni Boseiwaqa, Fiji NDMO,
Abraham Nasak, Vanatu NDMO,
Jonathan Tafiariki, Solomon Island NDMO
Details
Three Key Learnings
1. Strategic Leadership in Large Ocean States: Delegates will understand how Pacific disaster leaders maintain operational control and oversight across vast, fragmented geographies where distance and limited infrastructure are constant challenges.
2. Integrating Formal and Traditional Systems: Presenters will demonstrate how to successfully link formal government response mechanisms with the social fabric of island nations, including traditional leadership, church networks, and civil society.
3. Operationalizing Climate-Adaptive Management: Attendees will learn practical strategies for managing high-frequency climate events by blending modern early warning systems with traditional ecological knowledge to build community-level resilience.
Speaker
Mr Napolioni Boseiwaqa (TBC)
Director
Fiji NDMO
Panel: National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
Abstract
National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
Biography
Mr George Connor
Capacity & Capability Strengthening Manager
Australia Assists
National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
Abstract
National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
Biography
This panel features seasoned practitioners from Pacific National Disaster Management Offices and technical experts from Australia Assists. These presenters possess deep operational experience navigating high-frequency climate disasters across the vast territories of Large Ocean States. Their expertise lies in bridging formal government response with the social fabric of the Pacific, effectively integrating traditional leadership and church networks into national resilience strategies.
Moderated by a Pasifika professional, the group offers firsthand knowledge of managing complex logistics and community mobilization. They draw on years of experience operationalizing climate-adaptive disaster management in the world’s most disaster-prone region.
Mr Mafua Maka (TBC)
Director
Tonga NDRMO
Panel: National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
Abstract
National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
Biography
Mr Abraham Nasak (TBC)
Director
Vanuatu NDMO
Panel: National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
Abstract
National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
Biography
Mr Jonathan Tafiariki (TBC)
Director
Solomon Islands NDMO
Panel: National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
Abstract
National Disaster Management in the Pacific: Leadership Across Large Ocean States
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
The Pacific Islands navigate high-frequency disaster events compounded by rising sea levels that threaten to submerge low-lying areas and force community relocation. In Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands authorities manage a constant cycle of cyclones, king tides, and flooding, alongside wildfires and drought. These climate-driven events occur alongside geophysical risks increasingly severe due to changing environmental conditions. This panel brings together Directors of four agencies to discuss leading national systems in countries most at risk.
The challenge lies in maintaining operational control across vast, fragmented geographies. The Directors will explain how they work across the disaster management cycle when distance, limited infrastructure, and complex logistics are the norm. Rather than relying solely on centralised systems, these nations link formal government response with the social fabric of the islands to manage these escalating risks.
The panel will explore:
• Linkages from centre to village: How NDMOs work with traditional leadership, churches, and civil society to ensure that national preparedness is inclusive and reaches isolated communities.
• Integrating traditional knowledge: Practical ways ecological signs are used alongside modern early warning systems to improve safety.
• Logistics in fragmented environments: Managing national emergencies across dispersed island chains and strategies used to support rural populations and growing capitals.
Contribution to Australian Thinking: The Pacific can offer vital lessons for Australia’s disaster preparedness and response professionals, drawing upon their experience in climate change adaptation, community resource mobilisation, and geographically fragmented logistics. By exploring how these Directors integrate national coordination with community agency, practitioners gain new perspectives on building resilience and supporting local responses. Supported by Australia Assists, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded humanitarian deployment program, this session facilitates a direct expertise exchange with those operationalising climate-adaptive disaster management.
Biography
