In Solomon Islands, disaster authorities, the Ministry of Health, the Meteorological Division and the Water Authority, have met to discuss how to cope with an extended dry period forecast to hit the country this year.
The region is expecting an El Nino weather pattern this year and it can bring severe drought.
Meteorology Deputy Director, David Hiriasia, says the dry season usually finishes by the end in November but forecasters believe there a high probability the dry season may extend through to January or February 2010.
The National Disaster Management Office director, Loti Yates, says a response plan to deal with the impacts of any possible drought is crucial.
Mr Yates says his Office, along with the Fire Service, distributed freshwater for up to three-thousand people in communities in north-west Guadalcanal at the weekend.
He says, earlier this year, these areas had been badly affected by the worst flooding in years, but have now gone almost two months with no rain and streams are beginning to dry-up.