PACIFIC nations must move beyond “reactive” disaster finance and create systems for a timely, predictable response to rising climate and disaster risks.
These were the words of Emma Allen, Deputy Regional Director of the Pacific Subregional Office at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), who told delegates at the Regional Disaster Risk Financing Workshop in Suva.
“Pacific developing member countries face some of the world’s highest disaster risks, worsened by limited fiscal space and weak shock absorption in small states,” Allen said. “When disasters strike, unmanaged risk quickly becomes a development and fiscal challenge dividing budgets, delaying recovery, and undermining investment.”
Allen emphasized that disaster risk financing must be seen as “a core pillar of integrated disaster risk management and not a standalone financial exercise.”
She noted that recent regional studies found most Pacific disaster response financing remains largely reactive. Funds are often mobilized after events and rely on external support. This creates “uncertainty and fragmentation and delays when speed actually matters the most.”
Calling for a fundamental shift, Allen said, “Effective disaster risk financing needs a shift to prearranged financing with strategic risk layering. We also need stronger ties between financial institutions and disaster risk management, such as early warning and response programs.”
Despite challenges, especially capacity constraints, data gaps, vulnerability, and aid dependency—Allen highlighted recent breakthroughs. These include the Pacific disaster risk financing roadmap and new guidelines that improve coordination and support transformative change.
“Let us ensure complementarity, coherence, and smart partnerships as we move ahead,” she told participants. “Each of you must commit to turning today’s insights into concrete steps for change.”
Over the three-day workshop, delegates will tackle practical questions. These include quantifying risk, selecting value-for-money instruments, operationalising payouts, and ensuring funds reach those who need them most.
Allen highlighted ADB’s commitment to integrating disaster risk financing into country strategies, policy lending, and technical assistance, describing it as “a fundamental part of a broader disaster risk management approach.”
She closed by thanking the government of Japan for its support and urged delegates, “Take ownership, speak candidly, and drive real change for a resilient Pacific. The future depends on the solutions you build here—let’s make them count.”