One of the most disaster prone-countries in the region, PNG is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, drought, tropical cyclones, floods and landslides.
May 24th, 2009
In Brief: Disaster preparedness mission concludes in Papua New Guinea
BANGKOK, - A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team has concluded a two-week disaster preparedness mission to Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Photo: IRIN 
Residents from around the Meni area in Wewak, East Sepik Province, watching the sea swells crashing against the Winjammer Beach Motel, which eventually collapsed
"The mission is important to the government as it will independently review the ongoing efforts of the proposed new arrangement of managing disasters in future," Vini Talai, humanitarian affairs analyst for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told IRIN on 15 May, from Port Moresby, the capital.
The mission included five other provinces: Bougainville, East New Britain, Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Northern.
"The provinces were selected by the National Disaster Centre from the four different regions of PNG and on the basis that they are all disaster provinces," Talai explained.
One of the most disaster prone-countries in the region, PNG is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, drought, tropical cyclones, floods and landslides.
In addition, the country has experienced man-made disasters such as oil spills, industrial pollution, unregulated land use, environment degradation caused by development activities and population movements.
ds/mw source.irinnews.org