KOROR (Palau Horizon) — Pacific island legislators deferred discussion on a proposed resolution urging member governments to enact a building code in order to prevent damages caused by natural disasters in the region.
The members agreed to postpone deliberation on the resolution following a recommendation made by the Association of Pacific Island Legislators’ committee on government and cultural affairs to schedule it for the next meeting since the subject must be first addressed by the individual jurisdictions.
Senate Floor Leader Steven Kanai, who represented Palau in the recent APIL meeting, introduced the resolution.
The resolution is an urgent measure that needs immediate action, he said. He added that building codes must be applied not only to infrastructure projects but also to residential buildings.
He said loss of lives and severe damages to property could be minimized if not completely prevented by ensuing that building structures are built according to construction standards.
According to Kanai, several Pacific islands have no current building codes that guarantee adherence to acceptable construction standards. He said the existing codes have proven insufficient to keep up with the growing severity of natural disasters in the region.
Earlier, Del. Noah Secharraimul introduced building code legislation in the House of Delegates to monitor and identify which establishments pose dangers.
The delegate said a building code is important to ensure and improve the structural safety of the buildings.
