 Papua New Guinea is a beautiful country with fertile mountains, lush tropical jungles, picturesque fresh rivers and is surrounded by an ocean filled with an array of fish. It is also the land of the unexpected, where in an instant these same features can create a disaster affecting people's lives, homes, gardens and livelihood. We will now go through the most common hazards in Papua New Guinea, explaining possible consequences and providing simple suggestions to improve your safety in relation to specific hazards. You will be offered suggestions on the best place to locate your home and ways to construct buildings to minimize risks to specific hazards. When building your home you should be aware of hazards that might occur in the area. It is advisable to avoid building in a hazardous area, but if that is not possible then it is important to construct in a way to minimize the risks. You can also upgrade your existing home or house win to protect it and your family. We will now go through the most important hazards in Papua New Guinea, explaining possible consequences and providing simple suggestions to improve your safety in relation to specific hazards. Cyclones and strong winds. A cyclone is a tropical storm that forms over the ocean and is characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall and an erratic pathway. Typically P&G experiences one major cyclone a year, usually between October and May. Strong winds associated with cyclones are especially dangerous as they pick up and blow about loose objects and can cause substantial damage to buildings and vegetation. To prepare for a cyclone it is important to minimize the effects of strong winds and also the heavy rainfall that can lead to flooding. Clean up or tie down loose objects from around your home that could blow about by strong winds. Use extra strong binding to secure structural beams in all buildings. Use diagonal bracing on walls for added structural strength. Trim tree branches away from windows and power lines. Clear drains and waterways on the property so that blockages do not cause localized flooding. Regularly repair and maintain your home to eliminate structural weakness that may cause it to be damaged in cyclonic conditions. Identify the safest room in the house and seek shelter there during the storm. In case of flooding know the safest access route to nearest safe high ground. Prepare an emergency kit for the family containing a portable radio with spare batteries, water containers, canned food with opener, spare clothes, masking tape for windows and plastic bags. Ensure houses have proper provision for earthing lightning. Please take note of these key points. P&G experiences one major cyclone between October and May. Cyclones can cause damage on buildings. Loss of life and destruction of the environment. Clean up and tie down loose objects around your home. Ensure compliance with building standards. Roof joints, beams and diagonal bracing of walls. Regularly repair and maintain your home to minimize structural weakness. Trim tree branches from windows and power lines. Clear drains and waterways to minimize localized flooding. Flooding. With the high rainfall and steep mountains that shed water quickly Papua New Guinea is prone to dangerous flooding. As the water tries to make its way from the hillside to the ocean it collects soil, vegetation and other debris that can cause much damage. Low lands next to or close to rivers are most likely to suffer flooding. If possible avoid building houses and planting gardens in floodplains. Buildings should be constructed on higher grounds away from the natural flood plains of the rivers, away from the actual riverbanks and possibly on stilts or earth mounds to minimize risks. Before constructing find out the approximate water levels during floods and try to find a location on higher ground a safe distance from the peak flooding. When constructing your home consider bracing the walls with diagonal connections within the structure frame to increase the structural resistance. These diagonal bracings will make the building stronger to withstand the force of floodwater and reduce the risk of collapse or severe damage of the building. If you live close to a riverbank planting lines of trees along the riverside will create obstacles to flood water reducing water speed and force. Although it may not prevent the water from reaching your home this will help slow down the water reducing its force of impact over the building and thereby minimizing the risk of collapse. Other things that you can do to reduce the risks of flooding minimize deforestation on the water shed areas like mountain sides as it causes high runoff. Remove leaves, debris and items that can block drains and small creeks causing localized flooding. Construct pit toilets on higher ground to minimize the risk of floodwaters filling the pit and spreading human waste. Identify where you could go if told to evacuate. Watch for rising water levels on flood markers in the river. Store chemicals on high shelves to reduce contamination of floodwater. Please take note of these key points. Avoid building your house and planting food gardens on floodplains. Build your house on higher ground or stilts and earthmounds. Use past flood marks when selecting site. Diagonal bracing on Kunai house enhances structural resilience. Planting trees along riverside reduces water speed which reduces the impact of floods on the infrastructure. Minimize deforestation to reduce runoff. Construct pit toilets on higher ground. Use community established evacuation routes to the higher ground. Droughts. A drought is when there is little or no rainfall over an extended period of time resulting in a shortage of water. This lack of water limits food production and reduces water quality through relative increases in contamination. Therefore having significant effects on health, the environment, the economy and socially. If your area is subjected to regular droughts then it is important to be prepared by collecting water, minimising water wastage and by planting gardens that can tolerate minimal watering. Collecting rain runoff from rooms during wet periods and storing rain in water tanks is an effective and hygienic way to store water for personal use. Make sure that all pipes and taps do not leak and use water wisely especially during periods of water shortage. Food production can be maintained during a drought by utilising conservation farming techniques such as keyhole gardens where grey water is used to maintain a lush food supply or planting drought tolerant crops and vegetables such as okra, sorghum or millet. It is also important to make sure that the available water stays clean and does not encourage mosquito breeding. Please take note of these key points. Ensure water supply by collecting water from the rooftop and storing it in protected containers. Plant drought tolerant crops. Practice conservation farming and agriculture techniques that minimise water loss and increase production. Land planning system. Soil management techniques. Crop management techniques. Integrated watershed management. Landslides. A landslide is the movement of a mass of rock or soil down a slope. They can be caused by earthquakes, excessive rainfall or through digging or natural erosion at the bottom of the slope and a lack of ground vegetation and trees that help to secure the hill slope in place. Buildings on the immediate top of an unstable mountain side are at risk of collapse during a landslide. It is equally risky for buildings located on the bottom of an unstable slope as the landslide debris may fall onto the building burying it or causing it to collapse. When constructing buildings in areas prone to landslides it is wise to locate them at least 100 meters from the top edge and also the bottom of the mountain. This will create a safe area in between the building and the unstable slope minimising the risk to the building and the people living in it. If after a heavy rain you suspect a landslide may happen be alert of any abnormal sound, tilting of trees or changes to river colour and be ready to move to a safer area. Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do when a landslide occurs. If you need to evacuate remember time is short so save yourself and do not try to save your belongings. Do not enter any damaged buildings. You can help prevent some landslides by ensuring that prone hillsides are covered with vegetation. Replant new trees where trees have been cut down or have died and do not fell trees. You can trim some branches or take off the dead wood but do not cut the whole tree down or remove the bark of the main trunk. Please take note of these key points. Reduce erosion below slope. Plant trees on slopes. Build houses 100 meters away from the top edge or bottom of unstable slope. Be alert of abnormal sounds tilting of trees and fences on the slope. Evacuate immediately to establish safe sites. Do not save belongings or enter damaged buildings. Volcanic eruptions. A volcano is an opening in our planet's crust through which magma can get out. Volcanoes take many shapes and sizes. They are not just the typical cone shaped volcano we often see portrayed. Nor are all volcanic eruptions explosive. Volcanoes present many hazards both from the molten magma, noxious gases and ash that is expelled during an eruption and also from other associated effects. When a volcano erupts you must follow evacuation orders. There will be circumstances where an evacuation is not necessary but it is still important to follow safety procedures. Avoid areas downwind and valleys downstream of the volcano. If caught indoors close all windows and doors and bring animals and livestock into closed shelters. If trapped outdoors seek shelter indoors. If caught in a rock fall roll into a ball and protect your head. If caught near a stream be aware of mud flows and move up the slope especially if you hear the roar of a mud flow. When outside cover your mouth and nose with a cloth to avoid inhalation of volcanic ash and gases as they can irritate your respiratory system. Keep your skin covered to avoid irritation from contact with acidic ash fall. Ash fall is very heavy and can cause buildings to collapse so clear roofs of ash fall if it is safe to do so. Avoid driving in heavy ash fall as driving will stir up more ash that can clog engines and stall vehicles. An erupting volcano can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mud flows and rock falls. The sound of an erupting volcano can be quiet and hissing or explosive and booming. The loud explosions can be heard hundreds of kilometres away and can cause hearing loss. Please take note of these key points. Follow stipulated evacuation orders during an eruption. Avoid the direction where wind is blowing for possible inhalation of fumes. If you are in the house close the doors and windows. Animals must be kept in protected shelters. In case of rock fall roll into a ball and protect your head. Avoid streams and watch for mud flow. Move up the slope when you hear the roar of mud flow. Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth to avoid inhaling ash and gases. Cover your skin to avoid possible acidic ash fall. Ash fall can cause buildings to collapse. Clear roofs when safe. Avoid driving in heavy ash fall. Driving stirs more ash to clog engines and stall your vehicle. Tsunamis. Tsunamis are a series of abnormally large water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water generally within an ocean. They are not normal tidal waves but instead caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, explosions or meteorites. The impact of tsunamis is limited to coastal areas but can be widespread across oceans affecting many countries. Tsunamis occur suddenly often without warning. Therefore it is wise to build homes safely on hills or at least 300 to 500 meters inland safely away from the shore. Identify escape routes. Develop evacuation plans and rehearse the plans. Plant trees on shorelines so that less debris is washed to where buildings are situated. You may also consider making memorials to mark previous tsunamis as a reminder to communities in the future. When a tsunami is approaching stop everything you are doing and move inland to higher ground. Do not wait until you see the waves and do not wait to be told. Stay inland until advised to return by authorities. Take note of a series of abnormally large water waves caused by the displacement of large oceans of water induced by either earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides. Locate your shelters safely on hills or 300 to 500 meters from the shoreline. Use escape routes and conduct drill to safe sites. Plant trees on the shoreline to reduce the wave impact. Mark memorials to mark previous tsunamis as a reminder to future generations. Stool all activities and move inland to higher ground. Do not wait to see waves and do not wait to be told. Stay inland until advised by authorities to move back. Sea level rise. Sea level rise is primarily due to thermal expansion of ocean water with the melting of glaciers and ice sheets increasingly contributing to the impact. A rise in sea levels will displace the vast majority of people in coastal regions of PNG necessitating a mass migration. Infrastructures and properties will be threatened and food crops destroyed. Open ocean shorelines and barrier reefs will be affected as will the supply of fish and other aquatic creatures. If you live close to the coast then you should consider relocating buildings and infrastructure further inland to a safer area. Planting mangroves and building seawalls along the coastline will provide some short-term protection. Instead of making major repairs on infrastructure close to the coastline such as bridges, water supply and drainage systems, go the extra effort and place them out of reach of the sea. Please take note of these key points. Plant mangroves and construct seawalls for short-term protection. Use raised gardens like keyhole gardens to protect crops from salination. Preserve food for the future in case of salinization of the soil. Earthquakes. An earthquake is the sudden shaking of the ground caused by movements deep within the earth's outermost crust. Most earthquakes occur along fault lines when tectonic plates slide past or collide against each other. The main danger during an earthquake is from damaged buildings falling on people. The longer an earthquake lasts the more extreme the damage. When constructing your home consider using diagonal bracing within the wall frames as outlined previously. These diagonal bracing will increase the structural resistance of the building. Earthquakes can trigger landslides and tsunamis. They may also damage dam walls causing flash flooding. Talk to your family about the safest areas for you to shelter during earthquakes. Also decide on a place where you would meet in the event that you become separated. When an earthquake strikes either go immediately to a safe room within a building or a clear area outside. If inside shelter under a table in the doorway or against an inside wall where nothing can fall on you and drop cover and hold on. Do not light matches or candles. Have a torch readily available at all times and use that instead if it is dark. If you are in a car slow down and drive to a clear place and stay in the car until the shaking stops. Beware of fallen power lines damaged roads bridges and landslides. After the earthquake expect aftershocks or smaller earthquakes and continue to take precautions. Check yourself and others for injuries and give first aid for where necessary. Inspect your home for damage and get everyone out if your home is unsafe. If you live along the coast be alert for news of tsunami warnings. Please take note of these key points. Damn walls might break and cause flash flooding. Use a safe room in a building. Shelter under a table in the doorway or against a side wall away from falling items. In school children need to drop cover and hold on below their desk or table. Have an emergency kit in place. If in your car slow down drive to a clear place and stay inside until the shaking is over. Take note of aftershocks fallen over power lines damaged roads bridges and landslides and any news of tsunamis. Building Safer Houses Before constructing a building it is important to understand the type of soil over which it will be built and create safe solid foundations. It is recommended that the top part of the foundation is a minimum of 60 centimetres below ground level. The bottom part of the foundation as well as its size will depend on the size and weight of the building and soil type. Sandy and clay soils are very soft and not stable. If your land is either on sand or clay then make sure your foundations for your building are very deep and wide. Harder types of soil found on rockier terrain provides a more stable base for the foundation of a building. Although it can be a lot of work to dig the foundation it is still the most suitable for construction. We have already discussed locating buildings away from possible threats like flood planes or coastlines. It was also discussed ways to strengthen buildings by using diagonal bracing in wall structures and the use of strong bindings of structural beams. By selecting safer areas creating secure foundations stronger walls and more secure fixings your home will be a safer place to live. We hope that you learned a few useful suggestions to keep you and your family safer from disasters. This video has not gone into great detail in each section but hopefully you are inspired to learn more and make your home and family safer. Please take note of these key points. Know the type of soil for a safe solid foundation. It is recommended to remove 150 millimeters of top soil before construction. This will facilitate proper building settlement. Dig a minimum of 60 centimeters below ground level for your stilts. When constructing on sandy and clay soils soft and unstable land the foundation must be deep and wide. Wall diagonal bracing is key to avoid twisting movements of the structure due to wind pressure. A solid roof structure well connected to the wall has ability to withstand wind force. Long eaves might weaken the building as the force of the wind could rip off the roof. The roof pitch could cause resistance that will lead to the roof being blown off. Kunai wall should be tucked tight to the diagonal braces and buttresses. The corner posts should be connected to the roof for structural stability.