Pacific Islands 2023 IFRC network country plan (MAA55001) – Cook Islands

The Pacific Islands covered in this plan are spread across a vast and diverse region which represents more than 15 per cent of the earth’s surface. Largely made up of small island and archipelago states, these island countries face a range of external shocks which affect the lives and livelihoods of their populations.
Their geographic locations make them vulnerable to disasters and environmental degradation, and the global climate crisis exacerbates these vulnerabilities.

The economies of these countries face challenges from their remoteness, small populations and shrinking resources. These challenges also have impacts on their systems of governance, compounding the challenges of coping with external shocks. Communicable and non-communicable diseases and weak health systems mean that, in many parts of the Pacific, communities face water insecurity, food insecurity and reduced life expectancy. Access to quality education is also a challenge, with remote communities particularly affected by a poverty of opportunity. Where development gains can be made, the high prevalence of gender-based violence and social norms that perpetuate inequality threaten to hold back progress.

While these Pacific states face a range of challenges, their rich cultural, social and ecological connections underpin the importance of their ocean homelands and resources. Their values-based traditions and social structures are solid foundations for building community-based resilience through stewardship and collaboration. Pacific communities and institutions have strong, complex traditions based on reciprocity and volunteerism, and operate within the prevailing norms of their broader context. For these reasons, they face challenges with governance, inclusion, financial sustainability and the ever-present need to respond to crises and disasters in lengthening cycles.

The last year has again proven that the Pacific is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, facing tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, health crises and drought. The World Risk Index 2020 ranks Vanuatu as the most at-risk country globally.
Pacific Island countries are extremely vulnerable to climate change, which is causing the loss of coastal infrastructure and land, extreme rainfall events, intense tropical cyclones in the South Pacific, rising sea levels and ocean acidification. Communities across the region are also experiencing more intense periods of drought, leading to problems such as failed subsistence crops, damage to coastal fisheries, the loss of coral reefs and mangroves, and the spread of disease.