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BUILDING RESILIENCE FROM THE GROUND UP IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS: A SUCCESSFUL APPROACH THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Solomon Islands, nestled within the Pacific Ring of Fire, are confronted with high vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards like earthquakes and tropical cyclones. The annual economic loss due to such disasters amounts to an average of $20 million, ranking among the top 10 countries globally for disaster risk. With climate change exacerbating weather extremes, resilience building becomes a pressing necessity.
Recognizing that resilience must originate from the grassroots level, GFDRR Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery supports efforts by the government and provincial administrations in the Solomon Islands to engage communities directly with their disaster and climate risk management initiatives. This bottom-up approach ensures sustnable outcomes as community participation strengthens local governance structures.
In partnership with the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, nearly 70 community-led resilience projects are underway across Guadalcanal, Temotu, Malta, and Central provinces. These initiatives empower communities to take control of their disaster risk management strategies closest to home.
A notable example comes from Nanggu village where a community-driven effort built 15 water standpipes serving 700 residents, significantly enhancing their capability to withstand natural hazards. Altogether, these projects have benefitted over 64,000 people through measures such as earthquake retrofitting and cyclone strengthening of buildings, foundation rsing for flood alleviation, safe footbridges, community shelters, and shoreline protection.
Inclusivity is at the core of project design, with a strong emphasis on women's empowerment. Women comprise nearly half of the beneficiaries, playing pivotal roles in decision-making processes from project identification to implementation.
The approach adopts a holistic strategy towards community resilience by supporting national and provincial governments in integrating disaster risk management policies and practices into their systems. This effort has resulted in over 80 community-based disaster risk management plans being developed.
Additionally, technical support is provided for strengthening the Solomon Islands' climate data and disaster information capabilities. The seismic monitoring infrastructure's enhancement significantly boosts authorities’ ability to detect and disseminate early warnings. A noteworthy achievement was modernizing MECDM’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology risk information management system, making climate data more accessible for effective use.
Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery GFDRR
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Community Driven Resilience Building in Solomon Islands Bottom Up Approach to Disaster Management GFDRRs Role in Pacific Nations Support Women Empowerment in Risk Reduction Projects Integrating Climate Data for Early Warnings Earthquake and Cyclone Mitigation Strategies