WELLINGTON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government on Wednesday unveiled the latest phase of a program to help Samoa build resilience to natural disasters.
The work would include improving early warning systems; additional training and equipment for Samoa's emergency operations centre; helping to develop community response and local evacuation plans; supporting national preparedness exercises; and developing educational materials for schools and pre-schools, said Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye.
The New Zealand government would fund the package to the value of 750,000 NZ dollars (539,850 U.S. dollars), said Kaye, who is currently visiting Samoa, in a statement from her office.
"Samoa is vulnerable to natural disasters and the personal, social and economic impact often associated with them," she said.
"Three severe tropical cyclones in the last 15 years caused 26 fatalities and substantial economic loss. In 2009, the tsunami generated by a magnitude 8 earthquake wreaked havoc on the main island of Upolu, destroying villages and leading to the loss of 189 lives."
New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management would work with Samoa's National Disaster Management Office to implement the program.
"Our long history of working with Samoa to build resilience to natural hazards has achieved significant outcomes, such as the installation of 23 tsunami warning sirens on the south coast of Upolu, completed in 2014," said Kaye.
"Investing in good disaster risk management is one of the most important things we can do to save lives and enable economies to recover."
