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Scoop
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A New Zealand Photographer's 'Poetic Journey' Into Papua New Guinea's Past
, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Forty-eight years ago, a young New Zealand photographer set off on a brief solo journey into the remote Papua New Guinea Highlands. Victoria Ginn is now in her seventies and has a gallery in the small Taranaki town of Normanby. That trip, almost five decades ago, was the first in a series of exotic trips she undertook and resulted in a remarkable collection of photographs of the indigenous people, which she has called 'A Welcome Adventure'. Victoria Ginn spoke with RNZ Pacific. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.) Don Wiseman: So when you were 23 years old, and I guess, a fairly inexperienced photographer, you took yourself off on your own into the Papua New Guinea Highlands. Why did you do that? Victoria Ginn: Well, I probably wasn't as inexperienced as you state. I began photography when I was about 14 years old, in the 1960s, after a friend of mine realised I could take good photographs. He gave me his Leica camera, and I self taught. I was interested in human culture and nature right from day dot really. Why I took myself into the Papua New Guinea Highlands at the age of 23, probably a yearning to connect with a deeper part of my own self and also a deeper part of the human culture, than was represented in my own modern culture, in terms of 1970s modern Melbourne, Australia, and that sort of system. I was probably a natural photographer in terms of my yearning to use a camera as a way to connect with people. It is a form of connection, photography, or was. Nowadays it is a form of intrusion and narcissism. But back then it was an art form, and it mesmerised me to know that you could translate a moment in reality into something that was a beautiful essence of somebody through black and white portraiture and a moment in time, where you saw an emotion or an expression or a sense of the self that was portrayed In another person. It was never intrusive photography. When photography became fashionable in the 1970s, art photography became fashionable in the 1970s through the production of a book by Diane Arbus, and everyone had to be a photographer, sort of thing. But photography in a way, became corrupted by wide angle lenses and people not realising the sensitivity of the other, meaning the subject, and a lot of deceitful photography happened that was calling itself art photography at that time. DW: It's still very difficult on a number of levels to access the Papua New Guinea Highlands. But in 1977 and on your own, it would have been very, very difficult. VG: Yes, it was. But I was an adventurer. I enjoyed the attraction of the unknown and the challenge of finding a way into an area of such remoteness in the world, where there was not a pollution of modernity, if you like, upon the peoples that I wanted to meet. So yes, it was difficult. It was basically bussing up the Highlands into the Highlands, and then finding ways to get around. And I did have some fairly hairy encounters, not with the local people, but with imports, imported construction managers and things like people from Australia. Papua New Guinea was only two years into its independence at that time, so there was still a very raw aspect to the confusion between what was meant to be and what was, where you have an important psyche, like the Australian mentality, wanting to civilise and develop a country, and you had the indigenous people who had stayed sane and intact and culturally together and had a very rich, beautiful culture that was kind of timeless. DW: How did you communicate? VG: That is an interesting one, because I discovered the art of non verbal communication, and it sounds stupid or nonsensical, but there is a way. I developed it later, when I was travelling through other remote regions of the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, particularly. There's a way to communicate that does not require speech in terms of your tongue, and it becomes a very basic, essential, means of communication, which involves gesture, but it also involves something that is unspoken, and it is very difficult to describe that, and you connect. It is about someone connecting to you, and you connecting to them on a level that is not cerebral, and it is not through your tongue, so not through speech. I used that method. It grew on me. It developed. I was not there long enough to become adept at that sort of thing, but I got a taste of it, and I learned how you can communicate without language. I have spent time in a lot of different cultures using that means. DW: This happened back in 1977, so 48 years ago. Why has it taken you so long to bring a book out? VG: I have gone backwards, looking at my work, in a way, I'm going backwards. I am in my 70s now, and I mean, I have had other work that propelled me to do other creative essays that I was prompted to do by my own artistry, and that has come to an end. I am no longer a photographer, so I am more a writer now, and I am looking backwards and tidying up my life, you could say. And it is a beautiful little essay. It is a very poetic essay which portrays a form of gentleness, contrary to what is happening in Papua New Guinea today. It is a counterbalance to what is what is occurring in the Highlands today, which is now a lawless place where people have had their essential culture stripped from them by the incursion of missionaries and what have you, and mining companies and so on. It gives voice to a portrait of a people. DW: You've visited a number of places, as you say, remote areas around the Pacific, particularly, where does this adventure into the PNG Highlands in 1977 sit? VG: That is a hard one. I think the last big work I did in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia was called The Spirited Earth, which was subtitled dance, myth and ritual from South Asia to the South Pacific, which was a philosophical look at the religious and spiritual forms of expression through performance art and ritual in those regions. Mostly color photography. Back in 77 you could say this was a stepping stone to my awareness of the depth of understanding of the spiritual aspects of the human psyche within a people that were so called prehistoric and primitive. It's candid work. It is more portraiture, portraiture in terms of face rather than form or body, which my book, The Spirited Earth, looks at the complete picture of face and form and body and environment. This is mainly a portrait, and it's a poetic portrait which involves the poetry of the people, but also the more prosaic sort of day to day, here am I sitting in a marketplace, or here am I pulling my bow and arrow, carrying my grasses from the fields and so on. It is more a documentary portrait than an artistic portrait, but it contains artistry, of course.
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Bougainville Pins Hopes On Melanesian Agreement For Independence
, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have concluded many months of talks on the autonomous province's quest for independence. Most recently, the parties met for ten days at the New Zealand army camp at Burnham - a place dubbed the spiritual home of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, after it featured 28 years ago in the talks that ended the civil war. But there appeared to be few achievements the parties could point to, and there has been little communication from either government with the public. The Minister for the Implementation of the Independence Referendum, Ezekiel Masatt, managed to shed a different light on the matter in this discussion with RNZ Pacific. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.) Don Wiseman: There have been lots of meetings and lots of talks going back, you could say going back 28 years, but since this referendum process began, we've had nearly six years of talks, off and on, and Bougainville hasn't got much to show for it, has it? Ezekiel Masatt: In terms of what? DW: Progress has not been great. EM: Is Bougainville to blame for it? DW: I don't know. What's going on. Why? Why is no progress being made? EM: Progress, specifically in terms of what? DW: In terms of getting close to the tabling of the referendum, the process of getting toward independence by the first of September 2027, which is what the government has said it aims to do. EM: The Bougainville Government, DW: Yes, yes. The Bougainville government said that. EM: Okay. Well, let me, let me put on record the first of September date. While everybody is warming to it, that date was recommended by the Bougainville Leaders Consultative Forum, and it's a recommendation. At the moment, we going through the process of the Bougainville Constituent Assembly, who are debating the independence constitution. That starts today, coincidentally, so today and tomorrow is committed to the Bougainville Constituent Assembly, and once they've concluded their debate on the Constitution, then we'll see what happens. Now, let me make it absolutely clear, Don, that whilst we have embarked on various pathways to independence, I've always made it absolutely clear that our preferred option is to get independence through consensus, and that's through the BPA, [Bougainville Peace Agreement]. We know the history of what has transpired after the conduct of the referendum. There's been a series of consultations. There's been a breach, like I said years ago, that Papua New Guinea lives in a daily breach because there had been an agreement on ratification being a couple of years ago, that hasn't transpired. Now, despite all the hiccups, I think there's a new leash of life with the Melanesian Relationship Agreement. The Melanesian Relationship Agreement, one, allows the two governments to look at what sort of sovereign powers Bougainville can exercise in the interim. It also calls for the immediate consultation between the two Houses, the speakers and the clerk, in terms of the sessional order. And more importantly, it has called for the immediate activation of the Bipartisan Committee, and it's now been agreed that once the report of the Bipartisan Committee goes into the House, the National Parliament, then the referendum result and the consultative outcomes will also go in. We had a commitment from the chairman of the Bipartisan Committee, Dr Marat, in New Zealand, that they would commence work quickly. And I've been advised that as early as this weekend, the Bipartisan was supposed to meet in Rabaul in one of the first engagements to me, there's no delay on our part. There's no delay on our part. It's a process, and therefore, there's been some delays. We're confident in where we're going. DW: Under the Melanesian Agreement, some sovereign powers being handed down earlier. What are we talking about? EM: We haven't worked on the specifics, but my view is that, and the government's view is that, we won't be able to assume all the sovereign powers. Therefore, priority must be given to some economic sovereign powers where we can make some decisive economic decisions. I think that's the start. But despite the elections going on, I am hopeful that the technical teams can continue to meet to craft out some clear agenda in terms of which sovereign powers we can assume in the interim. DW: Okay, so you're quite confident that Port Moresby is fully supportive of the process, or do you think they're delaying the process? EM: Put it this way, does the National Government procrastinate, and they have a history, historical record of procrastinating, whether it's justified or not. We have other options that are open to us. We had this discussion before that the other option to get independence is through the working of the independent constitution, and I have in the original motion setting up the constituent assembly, I was very clear in reaching out to the National Government by making the motion for the adoption of the Constitution and any other resolution to be subject to the consultative outcome and the moderation talk. Now, having reconsidered that the possibility is there of a National Government strategy to procrastinate and to delay, I have since amended that motion - the House has amended that motion yesterday, stating clearly that the resolutions by the Constituent Assembly will no longer be in principle. If the Constituent Assembly goes ahead and adopts the Constitution, then it is within its legal right to set the date for independence. DW: So the Constituent Assembly is now the premier political body? EM: No, it's not the premier political body. It's the body that specifically deals with the amendment, rejection or adoption of the Constitution. And once it's done that, its activities come to an end. DW: We talked about the first of September 2027 and that's a maybe then. But when do you think Bougainville might be independent? How far away is it, this independence? EM: We have the recommended date. Everybody's warming to that date. The question of independence readiness, that's being addressed throughout the constituencies in Bougainville. The Autonomous Bougainville Government is working through the issues in terms of all the other economic big projects, so that we're in a position where we can sustain the economy and move forward. DW: In terms of the economy, you've still got a lot of work to do to have any degree of economic viability, don't you? EM: That's a justifiable argument. I have made it absolutely clear that the work on the economy of Bougainville must now also take some precedence. My argument is that to make the economy subject to political independence is something that I wouldn't agree to. We must obtain political independence in order to have some sovereign powers in order to make strategic economic decisions. Now, given the Melanesian Agreement where Bougainville can assume some sovereign powers, I think that's a great start in the right direction, and therefore I look forward to continued engagement by the technical officials and we can address some of these economic issues now. Having said that, it's not like we're sitting around doing nothing in Bougainville,. There are very major economic initiatives that have been taken on by the government. Another issue is, as you know, there's been the transfer of the BCL [Bougainville Copper Ltd] shares. That's an issue on its own. I'm not going to dive into that issue. And I think even on the economic issues, I have very much left it to the economic ministers to come in. But overall, to demand that Bougainville should meet some economic threshold or be economically independent before political independence, is a foolish argument. Australia never demanded that Papua New Guinea be economically independent. When Papua New Guinea got its independence, it had nothing except the Panguna Mine to deal with. I don't know why everybody's imposing on that economy. Whilst it's a genuine call, I think it's an internal matter for Bougainville to work on its economy. We're not shying away from that responsibility.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Climate-Affected Health In The Pacific To Be Discussed At Auckland Conference
Article – RNZ Experts will gather in Auckland to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Experts will gather in Auckland next week to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. A symposium is being held at the University of Auckland by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa – the Centre for Pacific and Global Health – involving knowledgable people from around the Pacific. A director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Roannie Ng Shiu says climate change is driving up temperatures in the islands – and heat is a 'silent killer.' She told Don Wiseman they'll look at the health impacts of climate change in the Pacific, and share potential solutions. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity). Roannie Ng Shiu: So our conference theme around climate health in the Pacific region sort of speaks to trying to think about the Pacific region and Pacific researchers providing important contributions to unlocking not just Pacific health solutions, but also global solutions related to climate change. We see this as an important aspect of the work that we do, as a centre, to amplify and uplift the research and the learnings that are coming out of the Pacific region, that also can be of use to other countries and other regions around the world. Don Wiseman: We've known for years about the environmental impacts from climate change, but your group would say that there have been very significant health effects already. What sort of things? RNS: We can see that climate related impacts include NCD [non-communicable diseases]. So when we think about the Pacific region, we think about two crises. One is climate change, but the other is NCDs, and this is a result of over-reliance on ultra-processed imported food, and the impact that global warming and climate change is having on sustainable agricultural practices and also in the ability to provide nutritious food by Pacific people for the region. The other thing is dengue fever. So we can see that as a result of climate change, that there's been an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases. Dengue is the current example that we have, and this is because the climate is producing more breeding grounds and warmer weather longer; we can also see that there's been intense cyclones that are happening quite often, and this actually is a real problem, because it affects the development gains that Pacific communities and countries have made. So for example, I think from our last analysis, the cyclones that happened in Fiji – Cyclone Winston that was estimated to cost around US$480 billion. So with so many frequent cyclones that are more intense, Pacific communities can't necessarily catch up to rebuilding or building better, particularly around their water, sanitation, hygiene facilities. So we can see the significant effects too of climate on wash utilities and outcomes. The Pacific region has the lowest levels of access to clean water as a result. There's quite a number of impacts. We need to be researching into these areas a lot better to understand how communities themselves are dealing and adapting and mitigating these factors as a place of strength and resilience. But at the same time, we also need to be part of that conversation globally – around how do we get big countries who are emitting the most greenhouse gasses to do their bit in terms of global climate. So things around climate justice inequity are really, really important, but it's a conversation that needs to be had with everyone globally, and not just people from the region. DW: Yes, one remarkable thing that I've seen is the number of people in the Pacific dying of heatstroke in the last 20 years, and this is quite a significant number. RNS: So I think as part of the symposium, we are launching the inaugural landscape countdown small island developing states report. And this is one of the key findings – where mortality attributed to heat has increased. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the fact that those deaths are happening mostly with babies, so children under the age of one, and then those who are a little bit elderly, or wisdom holders, as we like to say, who are 65 years and older. We have the Pacific that is seen as vulnerable, and then the most vulnerable, which are our children and our elderly, are at the highest risk of climate impacts. DW: Countries like New Zealand and Australia – are they doing enough in terms of preparing the region for this threat that's already here? RNS: I would say no, I think more could be done – I'm speaking about New Zealand. Australia does put a lot of money into development assistance for the Pacific region, but at the moment that is going towards more geopolitics and security programs. I think we could always be doing better. We could always be doing more. There is also the sense that climate change is going to increase the numbers of people claiming environmental refugee status. But other research we've conducted actually shows that Pacific people want to stay where they are. They just need support and helping them to live in the environments that they currently live in, and dealing with climate impacts that they really haven't contributed to. So, for example, the Pacific region only contributes 0.03 percent of greenhouse gasses, but are impacted the most. DW: The centre wants to look at bringing health closer together with the MetService so that there can be more information readily available to deal with extremes. RNS: One of the things that we are also looking at, and we've seen from our research, is the need to have better surveillance in order to be prepared for climate health risks – things around infectious diseases, as well as vector-borne diseases like dengue and waterborne diseases. So that if we have a better idea of extreme weather events that are likely to happen, and then layer that on top of health metrics, then we have a better understanding of where we need to be focusing our health intervention and prevention services, particularly for Pacific countries which don't have the same sort of resources that New Zealand or Australia has, for example, in preparing for disasters and extreme weather events.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Climate-Affected Health In The Pacific To Be Discussed At Auckland Conference
Experts will gather in Auckland to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Experts will gather in Auckland next week to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. A symposium is being held at the University of Auckland by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa – the Centre for Pacific and Global Health – involving knowledgable people from around the Pacific. A director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Roannie Ng Shiu says climate change is driving up temperatures in the islands – and heat is a 'silent killer.' She told Don Wiseman they'll look at the health impacts of climate change in the Pacific, and share potential solutions. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity). Roannie Ng Shiu: So our conference theme around climate health in the Pacific region sort of speaks to trying to think about the Pacific region and Pacific researchers providing important contributions to unlocking not just Pacific health solutions, but also global solutions related to climate change. We see this as an important aspect of the work that we do, as a centre, to amplify and uplift the research and the learnings that are coming out of the Pacific region, that also can be of use to other countries and other regions around the world. Don Wiseman: We've known for years about the environmental impacts from climate change, but your group would say that there have been very significant health effects already. What sort of things? RNS: We can see that climate related impacts include NCD [non-communicable diseases]. So when we think about the Pacific region, we think about two crises. One is climate change, but the other is NCDs, and this is a result of over-reliance on ultra-processed imported food, and the impact that global warming and climate change is having on sustainable agricultural practices and also in the ability to provide nutritious food by Pacific people for the region. The other thing is dengue fever. So we can see that as a result of climate change, that there's been an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases. Dengue is the current example that we have, and this is because the climate is producing more breeding grounds and warmer weather longer; we can also see that there's been intense cyclones that are happening quite often, and this actually is a real problem, because it affects the development gains that Pacific communities and countries have made. So for example, I think from our last analysis, the cyclones that happened in Fiji – Cyclone Winston that was estimated to cost around US$480 billion. So with so many frequent cyclones that are more intense, Pacific communities can't necessarily catch up to rebuilding or building better, particularly around their water, sanitation, hygiene facilities. So we can see the significant effects too of climate on wash utilities and outcomes. The Pacific region has the lowest levels of access to clean water as a result. There's quite a number of impacts. We need to be researching into these areas a lot better to understand how communities themselves are dealing and adapting and mitigating these factors as a place of strength and resilience. But at the same time, we also need to be part of that conversation globally – around how do we get big countries who are emitting the most greenhouse gasses to do their bit in terms of global climate. So things around climate justice inequity are really, really important, but it's a conversation that needs to be had with everyone globally, and not just people from the region. DW: Yes, one remarkable thing that I've seen is the number of people in the Pacific dying of heatstroke in the last 20 years, and this is quite a significant number. RNS: So I think as part of the symposium, we are launching the inaugural landscape countdown small island developing states report. And this is one of the key findings – where mortality attributed to heat has increased. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the fact that those deaths are happening mostly with babies, so children under the age of one, and then those who are a little bit elderly, or wisdom holders, as we like to say, who are 65 years and older. We have the Pacific that is seen as vulnerable, and then the most vulnerable, which are our children and our elderly, are at the highest risk of climate impacts. DW: Countries like New Zealand and Australia – are they doing enough in terms of preparing the region for this threat that's already here? RNS: I would say no, I think more could be done – I'm speaking about New Zealand. Australia does put a lot of money into development assistance for the Pacific region, but at the moment that is going towards more geopolitics and security programs. I think we could always be doing better. We could always be doing more. There is also the sense that climate change is going to increase the numbers of people claiming environmental refugee status. But other research we've conducted actually shows that Pacific people want to stay where they are. They just need support and helping them to live in the environments that they currently live in, and dealing with climate impacts that they really haven't contributed to. So, for example, the Pacific region only contributes 0.03 percent of greenhouse gasses, but are impacted the most. DW: The centre wants to look at bringing health closer together with the MetService so that there can be more information readily available to deal with extremes. RNS: One of the things that we are also looking at, and we've seen from our research, is the need to have better surveillance in order to be prepared for climate health risks – things around infectious diseases, as well as vector-borne diseases like dengue and waterborne diseases. So that if we have a better idea of extreme weather events that are likely to happen, and then layer that on top of health metrics, then we have a better understanding of where we need to be focusing our health intervention and prevention services, particularly for Pacific countries which don't have the same sort of resources that New Zealand or Australia has, for example, in preparing for disasters and extreme weather events.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Climate-Affected Health In The Pacific To Be Discussed At Auckland Conference
, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Experts will gather in Auckland next week to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. A symposium is being held at the University of Auckland by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa - the Centre for Pacific and Global Health - involving knowledgable people from around the Pacific. A director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Roannie Ng Shiu says climate change is driving up temperatures in the islands - and heat is a "silent killer." She told Don Wiseman they'll look at the health impacts of climate change in the Pacific, and share potential solutions. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity). Roannie Ng Shiu: So our conference theme around climate health in the Pacific region sort of speaks to trying to think about the Pacific region and Pacific researchers providing important contributions to unlocking not just Pacific health solutions, but also global solutions related to climate change. We see this as an important aspect of the work that we do, as a centre, to amplify and uplift the research and the learnings that are coming out of the Pacific region, that also can be of use to other countries and other regions around the world. Don Wiseman: We've known for years about the environmental impacts from climate change, but your group would say that there have been very significant health effects already. What sort of things? RNS: We can see that climate related impacts include NCD [non-communicable diseases]. So when we think about the Pacific region, we think about two crises. One is climate change, but the other is NCDs, and this is a result of over-reliance on ultra-processed imported food, and the impact that global warming and climate change is having on sustainable agricultural practices and also in the ability to provide nutritious food by Pacific people for the region. The other thing is dengue fever. So we can see that as a result of climate change, that there's been an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases. Dengue is the current example that we have, and this is because the climate is producing more breeding grounds and warmer weather longer; we can also see that there's been intense cyclones that are happening quite often, and this actually is a real problem, because it affects the development gains that Pacific communities and countries have made. So for example, I think from our last analysis, the cyclones that happened in Fiji - Cyclone Winston that was estimated to cost around US$480 billion. So with so many frequent cyclones that are more intense, Pacific communities can't necessarily catch up to rebuilding or building better, particularly around their water, sanitation, hygiene facilities. So we can see the significant effects too of climate on wash utilities and outcomes. The Pacific region has the lowest levels of access to clean water as a result. There's quite a number of impacts. We need to be researching into these areas a lot better to understand how communities themselves are dealing and adapting and mitigating these factors as a place of strength and resilience. But at the same time, we also need to be part of that conversation globally - around how do we get big countries who are emitting the most greenhouse gasses to do their bit in terms of global climate. So things around climate justice inequity are really, really important, but it's a conversation that needs to be had with everyone globally, and not just people from the region. DW: Yes, one remarkable thing that I've seen is the number of people in the Pacific dying of heatstroke in the last 20 years, and this is quite a significant number. RNS: So I think as part of the symposium, we are launching the inaugural landscape countdown small island developing states report. And this is one of the key findings - where mortality attributed to heat has increased. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the fact that those deaths are happening mostly with babies, so children under the age of one, and then those who are a little bit elderly, or wisdom holders, as we like to say, who are 65 years and older. We have the Pacific that is seen as vulnerable, and then the most vulnerable, which are our children and our elderly, are at the highest risk of climate impacts. DW: Countries like New Zealand and Australia - are they doing enough in terms of preparing the region for this threat that's already here? RNS: I would say no, I think more could be done - I'm speaking about New Zealand. Australia does put a lot of money into development assistance for the Pacific region, but at the moment that is going towards more geopolitics and security programs. I think we could always be doing better. We could always be doing more. There is also the sense that climate change is going to increase the numbers of people claiming environmental refugee status. But other research we've conducted actually shows that Pacific people want to stay where they are. They just need support and helping them to live in the environments that they currently live in, and dealing with climate impacts that they really haven't contributed to. So, for example, the Pacific region only contributes 0.03 percent of greenhouse gasses, but are impacted the most. DW: The centre wants to look at bringing health closer together with the MetService so that there can be more information readily available to deal with extremes. RNS: One of the things that we are also looking at, and we've seen from our research, is the need to have better surveillance in order to be prepared for climate health risks - things around infectious diseases, as well as vector-borne diseases like dengue and waterborne diseases. So that if we have a better idea of extreme weather events that are likely to happen, and then layer that on top of health metrics, then we have a better understanding of where we need to be focusing our health intervention and prevention services, particularly for Pacific countries which don't have the same sort of resources that New Zealand or Australia has, for example, in preparing for disasters and extreme weather events.
