The National Disaster Response Plan is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The purposes of this Plan are to: (I) strengthen operational structures for disaster response management at national, state, local, village and outlying islands levels; (II) allocate roles and accountabilities for disaster response management to agencies across sectors and levels of government including civil society and the private sector; (III) promote arrangements in disaster response management for all including women, youth, marginalised and vulnerable groups; and (IV) set arrangements for disaster response management in line with the changing scope of the FSM/USA Compact and the wider Pacific regional associations.
Disaster risk response mechanisms will be strengthened to sustain development by addressing disaster impacts on livelihood, infrastructure and land resources, as well as to reduce the trauma of disasters in communities and the time taken to recover. To this end, measures will be taken to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of possible threats with a multi-hazard approach. The participation of individuals, communities, agencies, civil society, sectors including the private sector and levels of government will be encouraged with a whole-of-country approach in disaster response. In addition, the involvement of women in arrangements at all levels including decision-making processes will be encouraged for effective disaster management. The resilience of communities to possible threats will be increased through arrangements of local government and local social institutions. Community self-sufficiency in preparing for, managing and recovering from disasters will be supported. The needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups including those in remote atolls, persons with disabilities and the elderly will be taken into account during a state of disaster and post-disaster phases. The engagement with international partners and support agencies will be strengthened to ensure communities receive support during times of significant disaster. Access to support and resources will be provided through national, regional and international arrangements based on the assessed scope and scale of an emergency or disaster. Monitoring and assessment of hazards will be strengthened to lessen the adverse impacts. Communication and early warning systems will be established to improve disaster preparedness. Policies, institutional arrangements and accountability mechanisms will be developed to oversee and implement disaster preparedness and response and for transition to recovery. Institutional structure of the Government will be strengthened for responding to emergency situations and disasters within the country. Therefore, institutional capacity building will be enhanced for prevention, preparedness and mitigation at national and state level. Disaster preparedness and response will be integrated into the national, sector and state development plans and budgets. State disaster response plans will be developed in line with plans at the national, state and community level.
A National Disaster Committee will be established to be responsible for policy development, for the strategic management of planning and arrangements for disaster preparedness and response, for the overview of disaster events and for accessing international, regional and bilateral support arrangements for disaster response.