Demographics
The multi-ethnic population of Palau was estimated as numbering 20 227 in 2007, with an estimated annual population growth rate of 0.01%. The population consists of 69.9% Palauans (who are a conglomeration of Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures), 15.3% Filipinos, 4.9% Chinese, 2.4% other Asian, 1.9% Causacian, 1.4% Carolinian and 4.2% other or unspecified groups (2000 est.). The 2006 estimate indicates a population density of 41 persons per square kilometre. Today, approximately 70% of the Palauan population live in the capital city of Koror on Koror Island.
Since the 1990 census, life expectancy at birth has been higher for women than men; the 2007 estimate stood at 75.7 years for women and 67.8 years for men. It was estimated that the ratio of male to female was 1:12 for the entire population, with 1:06 at birth, 1:06 for children under 15 years of age and 1:17 among the population aged 15-64 years.
Political situation
Palau is a democratic republic with directly elected executive and legislative branches. Presidential elections take place every four years to select the President and the Vice-President, who will run on the same ticket starting with the 2008 general elections. The current President, who is head of state, is President Tommy Esang Remengesau, Jr.; the Vice-President is Elias Camsek Chin.
The Palau National Congress (Olbiil era Kelulau) has two houses. The Senate currently has nine members, elected nationwide, but this will increase to 13 members in 2008. The House of Delegates has 16 members, one from each of Palau's states. All of the legislators serve four-year terms, for a maximum of three cycles or 12 years. Each state also elects its own governor and legislature.
The Council of Chiefs is an advisory body to the President that contains the highest traditional chiefs from each of the 16 states. The Council is consulted on matters concerning traditional laws and customs.
The judicial system consists of the Supreme Court, National Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Land Court. The Supreme Court has trial and appellate divisions and is presided over by the Chief Justice.
Socioeconomic situation
Palau’s real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 5 678 (2003 estimate) makes it one of the wealthier Pacific island states. The economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture and fishing. The Government is the major employer of the workforce, relying heavily on financial assistance from the United States of America. Business and tourist arrivals numbered 89 151 in 2007. Long-term prospects for the key tourist sector have been greatly bolstered by the expansion of air travel in the Pacific, the rising prosperity of leading East Asian countries, and the willingness of foreigners to finance infrastructure development.
Vulnerabilities and hazards
The population of Palau is at risk for a high number of hazards, including a uniquely high hydrometeorological and geological risk. Due to its geographical location as the United States of America’s westernmost border with Asia, Palau is also more vulnerable to hazards emerging in Asia, such as infectious diseases.
Table 1: Summary of vulnerability analysis scores for the health sector
Vulnerability analysis shows that Palau is 19.25 times more vulnerable to hazards than the
United States of America. Vulnerability scores can be useful for comparative study as rough estimates of vulnerability, and for mitigation planning. Public health officials and planners may apply these values to compare levels of vulnerability before and after implementation of a capacity-building program and/or an emergency event itself. By offering a broader scope of potential vulnerability (i.e. both facility-based and population-based indictors), the decision-maker is also engaged in a more comprehensive approach that involves addressing the many causes of vulnerability among disaster-affected populations.
It should not be understated that the most significant risk factor in vulnerability to disasters is poverty. The population of Palau is made of 70% Palauans, as well as a large population of young, impoverished, foreign worker households mixed with smaller population factions of local lower- and middle-class households. Economic stability is dependent upon United States federal support, immigration, tourism, and the United States and Asian stock, commodity and import/export markers, as well as fuel/energy prices. It is unfortunate that this most difficult of vulnerabilities to alter is also the most significant.
Palau’s isolation from the United States mainland increases logistical demands. Supply chains, communication networks and air runways are limited options. Improving long-distance communication and logistical coordination that may lessen the “tyranny of distance” for any emergency response measure would help to reduce Palau’s vulnerability to public health disasters.
Over the past five years, public health preparedness in Palau has improved significantly, but there is still much to do. A comprehensive all-hazard public health emergency operations plan has been developed, but it still needs to be tested and validated by field exercise and is lacking standard operating procedures. The Department of Public Health has developed an extensive level of awareness regarding disaster preparedness and response, yet much still has to be done in terms of education of clinicians and the public. All components of preparedness, planning, training, hazard monitoring, warning, population protection are much more cost-effective than emergency response after the event.[1]
[1] Rykken D, Keim M. Republic of Palau, Public Health Hazard Vulnerability Assessment. June 2006