Blog Final

There are 2 dangerous disasters that are more common than the other disasters for Fiji. The first would be the Earthquakes. Fiji is seismically active which means they experience many earthquakes weekly/monthly, most of them occur mainly on the edges of the plate and in the ocean. Instrumental historical records have existed from the late 19th century up to the present for Fiji. From the numerous data provided in the report, it goes to show that the recurrence intervals "along even the most active seismic belts surrounding the Fiji Islands exceed the historical records." Which says that the repetition of events along the Fiji Fracture Zone can't be resolved. Another study in the report by Everingham goes to say that earthquakes of magnitude of 7 or higher occur every 15-21 years. Earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or higher happens every 2.5-6 years.



The second and arguable most dangerous disaster for Fiji would be Cyclones, they are the most common and dangerous occurring events in Fiji. Fiji's Cyclone season runs from November through April, but some cyclones do take place outside of the season. In the past Fiji's cyclone season would be much shorter. The country itself would only see around 2-3 cyclones every year. Due to climate change, the cyclone frequency has doubled in the last decade. This even brought about one of the biggest Cyclones ever recorded not only throughout Fiji's history, but worldwide.



There are 3 big measures that can help address Earthquakes in Fiji. The First measure would be an Earthquake Education program, this program could be implemented through schools, medical programs, and even the news at a minimal cost to the Government as a bonus. The Second measure would be the addition of more stringent building codes throughout Fiji. In most cases of earthquakes, the adequacy of construction is a "major factor controlling the damage and loss of life". The Third measure would be Long-Term Seismicity Observation.  This should be modernized and continued/supported by the Fiji government and its overseas aid programs. In the future this would play a huge part in helping to procure estimates of seismic potential along the plate boundaries surrounding Fiji.

There are also 3 big measures that I believe can help address Cyclones in Fiji. The First Measure is to update and regulate building rules. Many of the building structures in Fiji are very outdated or unstable such as straw huts in many locations. These should be revisited and given priority as they play a big part in maintaining safety. The Second Measure would be the construction of many safehouses. There are many secluded areas throughout Fiji where it could be hard for people to receive help or services during hazards. These safehouses could hold backup supplies, amenities, and services through a manual generator power supply that could keep the people in good health during and after the Cyclones. The Third Measure would be a Cyclone research and study program. This program would play a major part in helping Fiji plan and prepare for future Cyclones by predicting or spotting them earlier.


Plate_Tectonic.pdf (mrd.gov.fj)

Natural Disasters in Fiji (go-fiji.com)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tsunamis

Image
One of the biggest Tsunamis to have hit Fiji was in 1953 due to the 6.7 earthquake in Suva. The earthquake had caused a slip in the seabed of the harbor  area which brought about the tsunami in the Suva Peninsula. It dealt major damage to the wharf and caused 3 deaths in Suva, 12 were also reported as drowned in the Fiji Islands Koro and Kadavu. The main source of the tsunami was the result of a "60 million cubic meter submarine landslide at the head of the Suva Canyon". Usually earthquakes near Fiji are the cause of tsunamis, but they can also be caused by "a sudden motion of the ocean floor." This could be due to an underwater landslide or even a powerful volcanic eruption. Tsunamis are a big concern as most population is concentrated in low coastal areas.  One way to further help lower injuries and damages would be to setup a real-time monitoring system of seismic activity and tsunami education and research program to study causes and frequent locations. These co
Read more

Climate Change

Image
The Pacific region as a whole is suffering more and more from extreme weather due to climate change aside global warming. They are most definitely the ones who are most vulnerable to it but also contribute the least in terms of global emissions. The average temperatures have already increased about 34 degrees Fahrenheit and are still on the rise. This also causes "ocean acidification" which is continuously increasing further with global warming. This affects reef ecosystems which is an essential part of the communities livelihood. due to this coastal erosion is also being sped up as they act as the "first line of defense against storm surges and strong waves". Global warming is also bringing about a rise in sea level. For example in Tuvalu, the sea level has already increased by around 13.2 cm from 1993 to 2021 with an upwards trend of 4.7mm per year. These alongside storm surges and king tides accelerate coastal inundation which is further affecting their water sec
Read more

Sinkholes

Image
Despite the many hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and landslides that occur in Fiji. Sinkholes are actually rare to find, as far as areas that are inhabited. They can be caused by the rough waters of strong hurricanes that go through the land or even from the immense floods that could help build up the erosion. One event of a sinkhole took place on the main island of Viti Levu in the Kings Road, which is one of the main highways for the island. The road became closed in order to allow contractors to carry out the repair works more easily and urgently. It was determined that a majority of the wastewater pipe sections at Kings Road had collapsed and deemed unsafe. The repair work became especially complicated due to the repair teams having to safely move through and around buried utility services which were laying above the collapsed wastewater main. Bailing trucks had to be brought in so the wastewater could be diverted from the nearby pumping stations as well as the repair site. Fiji p
Read more