Appraising new damage assessment techniques in disaster-prone Fiji

This brief explores how new satellite imagery technology can help predict the impact of tropical cyclones in climate vulnerable countries such as Fiji, analyze their potential compounding effects, and improve disaster risk management.

The paper discusses how satellite imagery can be combined with granular socioeconomic data to boost the “nowcasting” method of assessing the damage and economic effects of events such as cyclones. Focusing on Fiji’s agricultural sector, it analyzes how satellite data showing vegetation cover can be combined with other data sets to forecast the potential impact of a cyclone and help reduce hazard exposure in the South Pacific.