New Zealand is to work to improve the ability of Pacific Island countries to cope with natural disasters.
The New Zealand prime minister, John Key, says the government will invest about two million US dollars over the coming year to upgrade tsunami risk management systems in the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Niue and Tokelau.
He says New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management will undertake a number of activities to improve local tsunami assessment and warning processes.
This will include the roll out of siren warning systems and public awareness work.
