The frequency and intensity of natural disasters, especially tropical cyclones in the Pacific, have increased and when these natural disasters occur, large amounts of waste, known as disaster waste, are generated from damage to both the natural and man-made environment. These natural disasters are a real challenge for all Pacific islands because of the negative environmental, health, economic and social impacts. In addition to the significant risks to property and people directly caused by disasters, these events can generate a significant amount of waste which in turn canimpact health, the economy and the environment. Pacific Islands are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of disaster waste as natural disasters such as tropical cyclones are becoming more intense and frequent.According to the latest data from the World Risk Report 2021, three of the ten countries with the highest risk of disaster in the world are in the Pacific region, with Vanuatu at 1st, Solomon Islands at 2nd place, and Tonga was considered the third most vulnerable country to disasters. A total of six Pacific islands are included in the top 20 countries most at risk from natural disasters.To discuss how Pacific Islands (such as Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu) have coped with managing disaster waste through lessons-learnt and experiences, SPREP, through the SWAP (Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific) project in collaboration with the J-PRISM II project and the PacWastePlus Programme, conducted a three and a half-hour virtual workshop on 8 December 2022.
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
The frequency and intensity of natural disasters, particularly tropical cyclones in the Pacific, have increased. When these disasters occur, they generate large amounts of waste—known as disaster waste—from damage to both natural and man-made environments. Managing this waste poses a significant challenge for Pacific Island nations due to its environmental, health, economic, and social impacts. In addition to the immediate risks to lives and property, disaster waste can further exacerbate public health concerns, disrupt economies, and harm ecosystems.Pacific Islands are particularly vulnerable to the effects of disaster waste, as climate change contributes to increasingly severe and frequent tropical cyclones. According to the latest data from the World Risk Report 2021, three of the ten countries with the highest disaster risk globally are in the Pacific: Vanuatu ranks first, Solomon Islands second, and Tonga third. Additionally, a total of six Pacific Island nations are listed among the top 20 most at risk from natural disasters.To explore how Pacific Island nations—including Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu—have managed disaster waste through lessons learned and shared experiences, SPREP, through the SWAP (Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific) project, in collaboration with the J-PRISM II project and the PacWastePlus Programme, conducted a three-and-a-half-hour virtual workshop on 8 December 2022.This report summarizes the key discussions and outcomes of the workshop.