Our History
2003
Building a Foundation
Honolulu, Hawaii
The first Federal Hazard Mitigation Partners in the Pacific Islands Roundtable was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, March 11-12. This meeting brought federal risk-management stakeholders together to explore opportunities to enhance partnerships.
2004
Creating a Framework
Honolulu, Hawaii
A second roundtable was held in Honolulu the following March. This meeting led to specific and concrete actions for comprehensive risk management for the region. These actions included:
- Creation of an organizational framework based on hazard themes, including seismic, volcanic, and tsunamic hazards; climate and weather; and human-induced risks
- Creation of the hui, or working groups
- Identification of hui priority actions
- Activation of the Navigators Council to develop a regional action plan and provide policy guidance
2005
PRiMO Begins
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
From this framework the Pacific Risk Management 'Ohana (PRiMO) was born, and in March the first annual meeting was held in Kailua-Kona. This meeting confirmed the need for a more formal partnership in the region and set future priorities for the hui.
View Program2006
Partnerships for Resilience
Kaua'i, Hawaii
The second annual meeting was held on Kaua'i. As a result of recent catastrophes such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, PRiMO chose to focus its risk-management initiatives on building resilience at the community level and, within the hui, identifying opportunities to work more closely together toward this purpose.
View Program2007
Delivering Risk Management Information
Kihei, Maui
The annual meeting was held in March at the Pacific Disaster Center in Kihei, Maui. Over 50 participants shared ways to improve the development and delivery of risk-management information products and services in the Pacific.
View Program2008
Fostering Resilient Communities
Honolulu, Hawaii
The PRiMO annual meeting in Honolulu provided an opportunity to renew the commitment to PRiMO's mission: building partnerships for resilient communities in the Pacific. This meeting also brought a significant increase in participation with the inclusion of representatives from other jurisdictions around the Pacific.
View Program2009
Focus on Coastal Inundation
Tumon, Guam
The 2009 meeting was held in Tumon, Guam, where many new members attended to discuss coastal inundation hazards and information needs.
View Program2010
Growing PRiMO's Focus
Honolulu, Hawaii
PRiMO, back in Honolulu in March, included a professional development workshop and introduced the NOAA Coastal Storms Program into the Pacific region.
View Program2011
From Recovery to Resilience
Pago Pago, American Samoa
The partners meeting was held in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Over 130 participants from 65 agencies across seven Pacific Island jurisdictions came together to discuss "Recovery on the Path to Resilience." This event featured workshops provided by the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center and the NOAA Coastal Services Center.
View Program2012
Celebrating 10 Years
Honolulu, Hawaii
The tenth meeting, titled "Ten Years of Partnering for Resilient Pacific Island Communities," returned to Honolulu. The keynote was provided by Jennifer Sabas, Senator Inouye's chief of staff. The sessions focused on a number of topics related to the hui with several projects identified for continued effort.
View Program2013
Preparing Communities for Future Disaster
Honolulu, Hawaii
The partner meeting's theme was "The Voyage Ahead: Preparing Communities for Future Disaster" and was attended by over 150 people. The keynote speakers were Governor Johnson Elimo, State of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, and David Perkes of the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio. Attendees participated in over 20 small group sessions on specific thematic topics.
View Program2014
Focus on Small Islands
Honolulu, Hawaii
The 2014 PRiMO meeting featured a keynote address by President Tong of Kiribati. He told the story of climate change from the small Pacific island perspective, enlightening and inspiring everyone in attendance. Almost 300 people attended and contributed to the robust and productive discussion.
View Program2015
A Variety of Perspectives on Resilience
Honolulu, Hawaii
PRiMO's annual meeting was held again in Honolulu to allow a wider variety of representation from the Pacific Islands. The meeting featured a keynote by Her Highness Masiofo Filifilia Tamasese (nee Imo) of the Independent State of Samoa and Mark Keim, formerly of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The event included a showing of the film, Island President, highlighting the struggle of the president of the Maldives.
View Program2016
A Variety of Perspectives on Resilience
Tackling Challenges Through Innovation
Honolulu, Hawaii
PRiMO focused on partnerships and how it, along with innovative thinking, is leading communities to address the many challenges confronting them. The keynote speakers spoke of the unique challenges they are addressing and the new paths they are charting to do it. The speakers included his Excellency Enele Sosene Sopoaga, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and his wife Salilo Enele Sopoaga, Mr. Henk B. Rogers, his Excellency Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati, and his wife Meme Bernadete Tong, the Honorable Tim Manning, the Honorable Lemanu Peleti Mauga, Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa, and the Honorable Kirk Caldwell, the mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.
View Program2017
Navigating towards Security and Sustainability
Honolulu, Hawaii
PRiMO’s 2017 Annual Meeting highlighted the transformations communities are making to prepare for the next natural disaster. Keynote Speakers included Christelle Pratt, Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat; The Honorable Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam; Raymond Renfro, Lead Economist of the Asian Development Bank; Harlan Hale, Regional Advisor on USAID/OFDA’s East Asia/Pacific team; Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of Information, Data, and Public Relations Center at the Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) in Indonesia; and President of the Marshall Islands, Her Excellency Hilda Cathy Heine.
2018
Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction
Honolulu, Hawaii
The PRiMO 2018 meeting highlighted the vast possibilities for technology to fulfill PRiMO’s vision for a resilient Pacific region. The conference was designed to facilitate partnerships that transcend geographic boundaries and disciplines, providing unique opportunities for collaboration among attendees. Keynote speakers included Dr. Jaehyun Shim, President of the National Disaster Management Research Institute; Chad Blair, reporter and editor for Hawaii; Leigh Ann Eaton, General Forecaster for the National Weather Service; Burt Lum, Executive Director of Hawaii Open Data; Colby Stanton, Director for the Pacific Area Office of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency; and more.
2019
Weaving a Path to “Precovery” in American Samoa
Faufauina se alafua mo le toe faaleleia o Amerika Samoa
American Samoa Community College
“Precovery” is the process of preparing for recovery in advance in order to speed the return to normalcy. Precovery planning accounts for short-term recovery measures while ensuring that long-term recovery results in reduced risk, enhanced economic opportunity, and improved personal and ecological health. The purpose of this meeting will be to work collaboratively to identify pathways to our collective preparedness for future recovery efforts in American Samoa. Participants from Guam, CNMI, and Hawai‘i will contribute to the process.
View Program2020
Building a Resilient Pacific
Honolulu, Hawaii
“Building a Resilient Pacific” focused on the shared risks and shared solutions from across the Pacific Island region. Keynote speakers included the Honorable Henry Puna of Cook Islands, the Honorable Fiame Naomi Mata’afa of Samoa, Dr. Lori Peek of the Natural Hazards Center, Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet of NOAA, Arona Ngari of the Cook Islands Meteorological Service, author and journalist Rachel Reeves, Dr. Jim Reilly of the U.S. Geological Survey, Trigg Talley of the U.S. Department of State, and Dr. John Woods of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
2021
Assembly of Planners and PRiMO Joint Conference
Tumon, Guam
The Bureau of Statistics and Plans along with Guam Coastal Management Program’s 6th Annual Assembly of Planners welcomed Guam’s Pacific Risk Management ‘Ohana conference. The conference discussed smart growth solutions, disaster recovery and pre-recovery, and zero waste plans.
View Program2023
Equity and Resilience in a Changing World
Honolulu, Hawaii
PRiMO celebrated its 20 years of service to the region with a meeting focusing on fundamental questions of risk, vulnerability, and equity, and reconsidered pathways for a more resilient future for all Pacific Island communities. Keynote speakers included His Excellency David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, Dr. Lilik Kurniawan, Prime Secretary of Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana, and Kainoa Azama and Mariko Quinn, students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.