The archipelago of the Solomon Islands is made up of 992 islands of which approximately 300 are populated. The southern Pacific country’s land mass is 28,000 km2 with an estimated ocean area of more than 1.3 million km2. The total population, based on 2015 estimates, is 622,469 and is predominantly Melanesian (94.5%) with around 3% Polynesians along with Micronesian and European/Chinese groups accounting for the remaining 2.5%.
Economically, the country is within the bottom quartile of nations due to a per capita GDP below USD2,000 per annum[1]. However, Solomon Islanders enjoy a high degree of subsistence security, are generally not malnourished, and have a life expectancy of 63 years[2].
The country is divided into nine provinces: Guadalcanal, Central, Western, Isabel, Malaita, Makira, Temotu, Choiseul and RenBel (Rennel and Bellona Islands). The capital city, Honiara (estimated population 73,000 in 2014), is located on the island of Guadalcanal.
In terms of risk, Solomon Islands is exposed to a wide range of hazards due to being surrounded by ocean and also being located on the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire.’ Solomon Islands currently has eight active volcanoes, and is also directly at risk of tropical storms, saltwater intrusion, flood events, storm surges, sea-level rise, land erosion, tsunami and earthquakes. Over the past 30 years there have been seven major natural hazard events: two large earthquakes, two tsunamis (in 2007 and 2013) and four tropical cyclones, which have directly impacted well over 100,000 people and caused approximately 170 deaths. In addition, the period of civil unrest in 1998–2003 displaced an estimated 35,000 people, resulted in 200 deaths and had a cost of SBD250million in humanitarian relief and property losses.
There are a number of issues to consider in terms of underlying factors that increase vulnerability. First and foremost is the inequality that exists between men and women in terms of natural resource management, decision-making and the freedom to make choices about their own lives. This inequality limits the extent to which women are consulted and subsequently involved in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) activities and the extent to which their roles and responsibilities are considered in efforts to build resilience. This resonates with the lack of engagement of young people, a significant omission in a country with over a third of the population under the age of 15. Rapid urbanisation and growing informal squatter settlements have led to a large, highly vulnerable population in Honiara. Informal settlements have limited access to basic services and receive little or no support to improve drainage systems which results in flooding and remains an ongoing challenge. As is the case in other Melanesian countries, the issues of land entitlement continue to pose large and very complicated challenges for Solomon Islands and result in most informal settlements being created in areas that are prone to natural hazards.
[1] Gough K. V, Bayliss-Smith, T, Connell, J & Mertz, O (2010) “Small island sustainability in the Pacific: Introduction to the special issue.” Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 31, pp 1–9.
[2] Gough K. V, Bayliss-Smith, T, Connell, J & Mertz, O (2010) “Small island sustainability in the Pacific: Introduction to the special issue.” Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 31, pp 1–9.