The two-day Pacific Risk Management Ohana, or PRiMO, conference began at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan on Feb. 22 with panel talks on sustainable island development.
Division of Coastal Resources Management Director Richard Salas said the conference aims to foster conversations about disaster recovery, disaster preparedness, the incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge into management, and more.
THE opening day of the Pacific Risk Management Ohana or PRiMO conference at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan featured panel talks on sustainable development.
The conference, which opened Thursday, was organized in partnership with the CNMI Division of Coastal Resources Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
DCRM Director Richard Salas said the event was at capacity, with 200 registered participants.
The presentations on Thursday included a panel discussion on the implementation of Green Growth Initiatives in Saipan, Guam and Hawaii; “multi-hazard disaster planning,” which was attended by representatives from the National Weather Service on Guam, the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the CNMI Hazzard Mitigation Grant Program, and the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management; “Incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into Planning and Management”; and “Managing Risk and Promoting Resilience of Coral Reefs in the U.S. Pacific.”
In his remarks, Salas said the conference aimed to foster conversations about disaster recovery, disaster preparedness, the incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge into management, among other topics.
“The conference theme for this year is ‘Resilience in Action,’ ” he said. “We hope to learn about stories of adaptation, innovation, and most importantly, determination.”
In his keynote address, Dr. Austin Shelton, the director of the University of Guam’s Center of Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, spoke about Guam’s implementation of the Green Growth Initiative.
He said indigenous Pacific island cultures are no strangers to resilience and ethical management of resources.
“Islands are really leading the way in a lot of areas in sustainability,” he said. “There are lessons that we’re going to be learning from each other as we go from this path, and you’ll hear from these talks…about how we’re partnering on these Green Growth Initiatives [in the Marianas and across the Pacific]. It’s a really exciting time for our islands to be leading the way, but also learning lessons from each other, and advancing a sustainable future for our islands.”
Day two of the conference, today, Friday, Feb. 23 will center on coastal hazards planning; sea level rise; leveraging resources through partnerships; and “precovery.”
