The visiting delegation was led by Karlene Francis, Senior Operations Officer, and included Jian Vun, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, and Michael Bonte, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist. They were accompanied by Assistant Secretary Abigail Kim and Assistant Deputy Secretary Morthy Solomon from the Department of Disaster Environment Climate Change and Emergency Management (DDECEM), representing the National Government.
During the meeting, Mr. Vun explained that their mission is a fact-finding assessment aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness and response capacity across all four states of the Federated States of Micronesia. He outlined the five key pillars of the study:
Legal and regulatory frameworks
Information systems
Personnel
Facilities
Equipment
The results of the study will inform the development of a high-level investment plan to strengthen disaster management capabilities in the FSM, leveraging support from the World Bank.
Acting Governor Movick welcomed the team, emphasizing the timeliness of their visit, as Kapingamarangi Atoll is currently experiencing severe drought conditions. She noted that the State Government, in coordination with the National Government, is preparing to dispatch an assessment team to Kapingamarangi to help guide targeted and informed response actions.
She also expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its support. She took the opportunity to share suggestions and lessons learned from other World Bank–supported projects, particularly emphasizing the importance of clear communication and close collaboration at all levels of implementation.
Ms. Francis and the delegation thanked Acting Governor Movick for the warm welcome and the opportunity to have a frank and constructive discussion on current and future areas of cooperation. She reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to working closely with both national and state governments to strengthen disaster resilience and emergency response systems in Pohnpei and across the FSM.
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