By Orchy Rex
The Government of Papua New Guinea has officially launched a comprehensive review into the country’s Disaster and Emergency Response Mechanism in a move aimed at strengthening and improving national disaster management efforts.
The announcement was made yesterday at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby by Minister for Defence and National Disaster and Emergency Services, Hon. Dr Billy Joseph, MP. He revealed that the National Executive Council (NEC), through Decision No. 300/2024, has endorsed the recommendation to improve the effectiveness of managing the impacts of both natural and man-made disasters in the country.
“As a country prone to frequent natural disasters, it is critical that PNG’s disaster risk management best practice and (countermeasures)’ must be in harmony with the UN and international principles of the Disaster Risk Management Cycle,” Minister Joseph stated.
The National Disaster Centre (NDC), established under the Disaster Management Act 1984, currently oversees disaster and emergency response and coordination. However, the frequency and scale of disasters in PNG have intensified in recent years, presenting significant challenges to NDC’s operations under the current “PNG Natural Disaster Risk-Reduction Framework 2017–2030”—a framework adopted from the United Nations’ Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction framework.
“The government intends to put in place a Disaster Management Mechanism called the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), as a long-term strategy aimed at establishing an effective process of managing the impacts of disasters in the country,” Minister Joseph announced.
He explained that the review will be conducted over six months and is expected to produce a comprehensive report on the proposed establishment of NEMA, including a draft legislative framework for consultation and adoption.
“The review team is tasked to identify all stakeholders and government agencies whose tasks contribute to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and the Disaster Risk Management Cycle,” said the Minister.
“It will also assess response mechanisms in neighboring countries, especially Australia and New Zealand, and adopt their best practices,” he said.
Minister Joseph emphasized that while the NDC is the lead agency in disaster coordination, other key players also play vital roles across the disaster management cycle, including the National Fire Service, National Weather Service, Rabaul Volcano Observatory, National Maritime Safety Authority, Provincial Governments, and the Emergency Medical Team under the National Department of Health.
“All disaster management offices throughout the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand and UN member states, follow the Disaster Risk Management Cycle, and PNG is no exception,” he said.