The economic impact of natural disasters in the South Pacific with special reference to Fiji , Western Samoa, Niue , and Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This study deals with economic impact of natural disasters in the context of Pacific island countries, almost all of which are, in varying degrees, vulnerable to such hazards. The study focuses on the economic cost of recent major disasters in four of these countries - Cyclone Kina in Fiji (1993) Cyclone Val in Western Samoa (1991), Cyclone Ofa in Niue (1990) and the Rabaul volcanic eruptions in PNG (1994).