Event 3 concluded the Pacific Disaster Risk Knowledge Series by shifting the focus from understanding and accessing risk information to applying it in real-world decision-making. While the Pacific had made significant progress in generating climate and disaster risk data, its use in planning, budgeting, and investment processes remains uneven. This session responded directly to that gap by showcasing how risk assessments had been successfully embedded into policies, infrastructure decisions, and financial planning across the region.

Building on the conceptual foundation from Event 1 and the tools and platforms highlighted in Event 2, this session offered a deep dive into the “how” of risk-informed decision-making. Through case studies from Vanuatu, Kiribati, and regional initiatives, the event demonstrated how disaster and climate risk information had shaped zoning decisions, guided infrastructure upgrades, informed fiscal planning, and strengthened resilience outcomes. The session aimed to demystify the application process, highlight enabling conditions, and inspire replication of good practices across sectors and countries.

The 90 minute program featured a keynote by Samantha Cook, Director, Disaster Risk Management, ADB, four speaker interventions, an interactive Menti exercise, a rapid-fire round, and a synthesis of insights. Speakers brought diverse perspectives from finance, disaster management, insurance, and resilient infrastructure:

• Tony Kaltong (Government of Vanuatu) shared how risk evidence had been integrated into financial policy and fiscal resilience planning.
• Aholotu Palu (PCRIC) discussed how risk data had informed the design of insurance solutions tailored to Pacific needs.
• Takena Redfern (Government of Kiribati) highlighted practical lessons from applying risk assessments to infrastructure and national planning.
• Filimoni Tagicakibau (IRIS/CDRI) explored how partnerships and enabling conditions had helped move risk assessments from technical studies into infrastructure decision-making.

The Menti exercise captured participants’ reflections on barriers, enabling factors, and priority sectors for applying risk assessments, while the rapid-fire round distilled actionable lessons and forward-looking insights from each speaker.

The session closed with a synthesis of key themes: the importance of leadership and mandates, the value of cross-sector collaboration (particularly between DRM, planning, and finance), and the need for sustained technical support to embed risk assessments into institutional processes.