Presidential Delegation from French Polynesia Visits PDC
On Thursday, January 12, Pacific Disaster Center hosted a visit by a delegation from French Polynesia. His Excellency Oscar Manutahi Temaru, President of French Polynesia, led the delegation of cabinet-level ministers and advisors on what was planned as a week-long “enrichment visit with promising partners” in Hawaii. Hawaii State Senator J. Kalani English, who accompanied the delegation to Maui, said that they “have a deep connection to Hawaii through our Polynesian ancestors, and they are looking to our State as a model to modernizing French Polynesia.”
The briefings and discussions at PDC were part of an exploration of ways to modernize and improve public safety and disaster management capabilities in French Polynesian, which is best known internationally for its large, westerly island of Tahiti. President Temaru and his ministers wanted to familiarize themselves with the Center’s work in Disaster Risk Reduction and with the DisasterAWARE early warning and decision support technology developed by PDC.
In addition to President Temaru, the group included Mr. Temauri Foster, Minister of Marine Resources; Mr. Kalani Teixeira, Minister of Agriculture & Farming; and Mr. Hiria Ottino and Ms. Teua Temaru, Advisors to the President.
Executive Director Ray Shirkhodai and Deputy Executive Director Chris Chiesa provided an overview of PDC capabilities and experiences, and Senior Geospatial Information Analyst Todd Bosse demonstrated the DisasterAWARE early warning and decision support platform.
The delegation was especially interested in tsunami risk to Tahiti, and most particularly in risks from tsunamis that may be generated by the collapse of a nearby atoll. The delegates will be looking into engaging PDC to assist with a risk assessment project, and fostering longer-term relationships with the national universities.
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For more information about the French Polynesian visit to Hawaii look at:
- The description (in French) by Mr. Kalani Teixeira, Minister of Agriculture & Farming
- A news brief in the Hawaii Reporter provided by the Hawaii State Senate
