Fiji

FIJI Post-Disaster Needs Assessment
1.5.4 Recovery and Reconstruction Strategy and Needs
Assessments of disaster effects and disaster impacts collectively assist with the determination of recovery needs under
the PDNA methodology, and incorporate the concept of “building back better” (BBB). 18 The Government of Fiji has publicly
reiterated the importance of BBB to avoid such effects from similar disaster events in the near future. BBB has been
selectively applied across and within sectors to ensure a cost-optimized, multi-hazard reconstruction.
The identified recovery needs form the basis for determining recovery, reconstruction and resilience interventions through
a recovery strategy. Accordingly, the PDNA’s main goal is to assist governments in assessing the full extent of a disaster’s
impact on the country and, on the basis of these findings, to produce an actionable and sustainable recovery strategy for
mobilizing financial and technical resources.
Financial requirements for recovery and reconstruction are estimated as a function of the values of destroyed assets,
changes in the flows of the economy, and the decline in personal or household income, obtained in the assessment of
disaster effects, as follows.
equivalent to the amounts of working capital required by producers to achieve recovery of production levels. The
needs for recovery in the services sectors (education, health, culture, transport, communications, electricity, and
water and sanitation) are the amounts required to restore supply to, and access by, the population. The estimation
of personal or household income decline, arising from the previously estimated drop in production at sectoral
levels, is used to determine the possible financial requirements for “cash-for-work” and other income-assistance
programmes for the affected population. Recovery needs typically have a value that is equivalent to a fraction of the
value of estimated losses in sectoral production combined with higher costs of production.
to incorporate an additional cost for improved, disaster-resilient standards, which adhere to the principles of BBB.
Reconstruction needs are usually slightly higher than the estimated value of damage or destruction of assets, as
rebuilding will include the introduction of disaster-resilient design and construction standards.
For both recovery and reconstruction needs, the value of any existing insurance proceeds should be deducted.
1.5.5 Specific Context of this PDNA
The geographical context of this PDNA covers all four divisions of Fiji (Central, Eastern, Northern and Western), as all were
impacted by TC Winston. Annex 9: Map of Fiji provides a map of Fiji that clearly shows all the divisions.
1.5.6 Limitations of this Assessment
This assessment was completed 65 days after TC Winston, and reports only on data received at the time of writing.
Undertaking field surveys was hindered due to flooding and the threat of TC Zena during 6-7 April 2016. This had some
impact on the collection of damage and loss data, particularly for the commerce and manufacturing sector.
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BBB is a reconstruction approach that seeks to reduce vulnerability and improve living conditions, while promoting more effective
and sustainable reconstruction. It uses the opportunity of having to rebuild following a disaster event to examine the suitability and
sustainability of reconstruction activities.
Tropical Cyclone Winston, February 20, 2016
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