Student field trip to Fiji

Studying the aftermath of Cyclone Winston in Fiji – A Field Trip of School of Social Sciences Students

In February 2016, a category 5 cyclone swept through the Pacific region. After reaching its peak, with winds up to 205km/h, Tropical Cyclone Winston approached Fiji – devastating the scattered islands and communities. Cyclone Winston is the strongest recorded natural disaster to ever hit Fiji and the Southern Pacific region.

From 4-16 July 2016, a group of six post-graduate students from Development Studies and Media, Film and Television conducted a field study in Fiji to look into the aftermath of devastating Cyclone Winston.

Second Fieldwork Phase in Prek Prasob district, Cambodia

The second fieldwork phase of the APN project was conducted in Prek Prasob district in June 2016. Project team participants included Prof Andreas Neef (University of Auckland), Mr Siphat Touch (Ministry of Rural Development, Cambodia), Dr Chanrith Ngin (Royal University of Phnom Penh) and Dr Bryan Boruff, Ms Julia Horsley and Mr Mark Williams (University of Western Australia). Ms Sochanny Hak and two students from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Mr Sengponleur Yuk and Mr Kimleng Sa, facilitated the fieldwork as moderators, research assistants and translators.

Initial Field Visit in Cambodia

On 17 January 2016 project team members Andreas Neef and Kellie McNeill from the University of Auckland, Bryan Boruff and Julia Horsley from the University of Western Australia and Floris van Ogtrop from the University of Sydney arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to undertake an initial field visit of flood affected communities in Kratie province.

Initial Field Visit in Fiji

From 1-10 November 2015, the research team visited Fiji to conduct an inception workshop at the University of the South Pacific in Suva and to carry out a first phase of fieldwork in the Ba watershed in northwestern Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island.