1. DRR Exercise

2. This Presentation Outline where the exercise will be based Provide background information on the country Explain the aims of the exercise Give you things to keep in mind during the exercise

3. Solomon Islands Equally unfamiliar to everyone There are geographical and climate similarities between the Solomon Islands and many countries in SE Asia The severe weather event we are using could happen almost anywhere in SE Asia

4. Provinces

5. Basic Facts Population around 600,000. Lies between 5°S and 13°S. Islands are mostly steep, mountainous and heavily forested. 70 languages. English the official language, but only spoken by 1-2%. “Solomons Pidgin” is the lingua franca. Economy: fishing, mining, timer, agriculture. Deforestation is a concern due to unsustainable logging in the past

6. Guadalcanal High ground to the south and interior. Floodplains along the north coast where agriculture is concentrated. Southcoast (“the weather coast”) rises steeply and is hard to access.

7. Honiara Capital City On north coast of Guadalcanal

8. Malaita Most populous island (140,000 people) Main city of Auki, in the northwest.

9. Aims of the Exercise It’s not about forecasting - the forecast has been done already It’s about decisions, plans, communication You may feel like you’re out of your “comfort zone” Think about how the content of a forecast affects those that have to make decisions based on it Your own experience and knowledge will be useful even in an unfamiliar location

10. You will be split into groups Each group should have a balance of forecasters and PWS focal points Each group will act as the National Disaster Council and be asked to formulate a plan of action

11. Please also consider: The format and content of the warning – how does it compare to warnings you issue in your country? What is good/not good about the warning? Is it easy to find the most important information within the warning? Is the warning clear or confusing? Would you like more (or less) information contained in the warning?

12. Start of Exercise Times are in Z (UTC). Solomon Island is UTC + 11 hours.

13. Second Warning You Received This Information: This Bridge in Honiara has been destroyed by the flooded river: Villages have been destroyed by mudslides in southern Malaita Island

14. At Beginning of Second Warning