In 2018 and 2019, PIANGO and Humanitarian Advisory Group collaborated to design and undertake a localization process in four Pacific countries: Vanuatu, Tonga, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Pacific actors began by discussing and prioritizing areas of meas

The localization of humanitarian action is crucial in Vanuatu. Local, national, and international actors alike are considering what localization means for preparedness and response considering the increasing frequency of natural disasters. In recent years

The Solomon Islands are very vulnerable to disasters, and are expected to lose approximately US$20 million every year due to events such as earthquakes and tropical cyclones. Localization of disaster response and risk management is an important issue in t

Fiji has experienced several large-scale cyclones during the last years, with earthquakes and floodings also being common. As a regional hub for the Pacific, many international and regional organizations are based there, alongside a large presence of civi

Humanitarian organizations operating in the Pacific are increasingly recognizing the importance of localized humanitarian action. Major donors have made supporting localization a strategic objective in their humanitarian work and their monitoring and eval

On 28th September 2018, a tsunami triggered by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake destroyed the coastal township Palu in Indonesia. Over 2 000 people were killed while 200 000 people were displaced from their homes. Immediately after the tsunami, the Indonesian g

Localization efforts in Tonga have been influenced by recent humanitarian responses, including the response to the tropical cyclone Gita in 2018. There are few international actors who have an ongoing presence in the country, which has a small historical

The global humanitarian sector has recently begun to develop ways to measure progress on localization efforts. This has also been a key issue for humanitarian actors in the Pacific region. In June 2018, the Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental

The Localisation and Protection initiative is a collaboration between the Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG), the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) and the Australian Red Cross. The research explores the relationship between localization and protection and f

Localization will only continue to grow in momentum if we can show that it is leading to more effective and efficient humanitarian action. The ability to demonstrate this is therefore crucial, but there is no consensus on how to measure localization and i

The international community has committed to the localization of humanitarian action. In practice, this means a shift of power, resources and decision-making to local and national responders. But how is this shift manifested during a humanitarian response