Fiji faced over 12 cyclones and several billion dollars worth of damages in last 10 years - Prasad

Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Satyendra Prasad is calling for greater support in addressing the repeated climate catastrophes as over a 10 year period, Fiji faced over 12 cyclones and several billion dollars worth of damages.

While speaking at the recent World Bank Pre-Spring virtual meeting, Prasad emphasised that recovery from repeated climate catastrophes since 2021 have cost the Fijian economy more than $500 million in damages.

Prasad joined the Senior Advisor to US Presidential Envoy on Climate, Dr Jonathan Pershing, Sweden’s Minister for Development, Per Olsson Fridh, and World Bank’s Managing Director Axle van Trotsenburg to discuss the compounding impacts of climate change on institutions and societies across the world.

Prasad says relocating vulnerable communities is a challenging process that small island nations have to confront.

He says these are heartbreaking calls that communities are making across the Pacific every day and these are difficult conversations that governments hold everyday with vulnerable communities across the Pacific every day.

Prasad called on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries to support the World Bank efforts to scale up its support to countries like Fiji, Vanuatu, Bahamas and Mozambique.