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New Zealand responds to cyclones and other natural disasters in the Pacific. Pacific Division coordinates an Emergency Task Force that responds to natural disasters 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The task force draws together people and resources from key New Zealand government agencies – including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, NZAID, Metservice and New Zealand Defence Force to respond with assistance and trained personnel.
New Zealand also works closely with Australia and France under an arrangement known as FRANZ to respond to disasters in the Pacific – ensuring that resources are deployed effectively and without duplication. The FRANZ arrangement, which began in 1992, has proved a useful tool for improving natural disaster coordination in the region.
Natural disasters have a significant impact in the Pacific, and come at real cost. The Pacific region, with its diverse mix of low-lying atolls and mountainous high islands, volcanoes and earthquake zones, contains some of the most vulnerable environments in the world.
While earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions are unpredictable and can strike at any time, cyclones are a more regular and predictable occurrence. An average year sees 9-10 tropical cyclones, normally between November and May, with the peak occurrence in February and March. In very strong El Niño conditions, when the warm seas in the western Pacific spread east, tropical cyclones tend to be more frequent, and to form and track farther east.
Regionally, efforts to improve disaster management capacity are carried out under the Community Risk Programme of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and a regular meeting of National Disaster Management Officers. New Zealand also works directly with the countries of the region on working on disaster management capacity issues. NZAID plays a critical role in New Zealand efforts in this area through its Emergency and Disaster Response funding.
