BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA) 
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) 

 

SUCCESS STORY:  

THE ASIA FOUNDATION MITIGATES DISASTERS IN THE PACIFIC 

 
The clear blue waters, lush greenery, and sunny skies provide a tranquil setting for daily life on the Pacific 
Islands.  However, the calm can also prove deceiving—the Pacific Islands are prone to numerous natural 
disasters, including cyclones, tsunamis, droughts, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.  Exacerbating the 
effects of natural disasters in the region, local communities have gradually abandoned traditional coping 
mechanisms, which has taxed government, community, and environmental resources.  
 
To improve government capacity for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response, USAID/OFDA has 
supported The Asia Foundation disaster management trainings in the Pacific since 1995.  By incorporating the 
knowledge and skills acquired during the Foundation’s trainings into national disaster response planning, island 
nations have significantly improved disaster management throughout the region.

 

 

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The Asia Foundation operates the longest-running disaster 

management trainings in the Pacific.  Through the trainings, The 

Asia Foundation has strengthened national response capacity, 

facilitated the creation of a regional network among responders, 
and improved coordination among local, national, and regional 

stakeholders.  In the process, the Foundation has identified 

skilled participants to become trainers, developing a base of 
trainers that are also stakeholders in disaster response.  Trainers 

include directors of national disaster management offices 

(NDMOs)—the lead government agencies in disaster 

preparedness and response—who also act as valuable resources 
by incorporating local practices and knowledge into the trainings.      

 

The Asia Foundation trainings, supported by USAID/OFDA, 

include Introduction to Disaster Management (IDM), Initial 
Damage Assessment (IDA), Emergency Operations Centers 

(EOC), Exercise Management (ExMan), and Training for 

Instructors (TFI).   

The director of the Vanuatu NDMO advises a 
participant during an EOC training exercise in 
September 2009 (photo by Amy Shatsoff, USAID). 

 

 

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In 2005, a total of five cyclones battered the Cook Islands.  According to Cook Islands Emergency 
Management (EMCI), the NDMO in the Cook Islands, poor communication and lack of coordination by 

local agencies significantly hampered response efforts.  To improve local capacity to respond to future 

disasters, The Asia Foundation conducted several trainings, including EOC and ExMan, with Government 

of Cook Islands authorities and disaster management stakeholders in the years following the intense 
cyclone season.  

 

In January 2008, strong wind gusts and sea surges caused by a tropical depression in the vicinity of the 

Cook Islands forced government authorities to close roads and government buildings.  Although the 

 

 

November 3, 2009 

 

tropical depression caused minor damage in comparison to the events of 2005, the EMCI reported that 

government agencies mobilized immediately and prepared to implement newly developed standard 

operating procedures based on the EOC management training, while the EMCI simultaneously prepared 
to activate the national EOC.  The mobilization of response efforts and newly developed procedures 

demonstrated a transformation from a less-efficient model to a systemized response effort.   

 

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The 1998 Fiji National Disaster Management Act mandates that the Fiji Red Cross Society (FRCS) provide 

non-food items during a disaster to complement Government of Fiji distribution of food commodities, 

placing FRCS at the forefront during a national 
response.  FRCS relies on a large volunteer base 

dispersed throughout the country to act as the first 

responders and distribute life-saving relief supplies.  

Poor response capacity during the 2003 cyclone 
season highlighted the need for improved training 

of volunteer staff by FRCS personnel.  Based on 
The Asia Foundation’s trainings, FRCS developed 

disaster response trainings for volunteers and Initial 
Damage Assessment (IDA) forms.  Red Cross 

societies throughout the region have since adopted 

the FRCS IDA format for use in respective 

countries. 
 

In January 2009, flooding in Fiji claimed 11 lives, 

damaged homes, and destroyed agricultural land.  

With USAID/OFDA and additional donor support, FRCS acted as the first responder to the disaster, 
assisting more than 41,000 individuals in more than 400 flood-affected villages.  FRCS volunteers utilized 

the IDA forms during damage assessments, improving the response capacity of field staff throughout 

affected areas.  USAID/OFDA provided support to FRCS for response activities and benefitted from the 
results of improved capacity of an implementing partner. 

Improved assessments by FRCS helps flood-affected children of Ba 
District, Fiji (courtesy of The Asia Foundation). 

 

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The Asia Foundation continues to train additional individuals, particularly targeting the younger 
generations, or future responders.  The Foundation receives ongoing requests from countries throughout 

the Pacific for additional trainings, indicating an ongoing need for capacity building and also speaking to the 

acknowledged quality of the trainings.  The trainings change the way participants conduct daily operations 

by introducing new ways of approaching routine situations.  The Asia Foundation trainings have provided 
participants with a new and broader set of tools with which to respond, a more systemized way of 

conducting operations, and the ability to evaluate and respond rapidly and effectively to save lives. 

USAID/OFDA information products are available at http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian _assistance/disaster_assistance.