More than 200 emergency planners and government officials from across the Pacific are attending a conference on natural disaster planning this week at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

The 14th annual Pacific Risk Management ‘Ohana conference continues through Thursday with the theme “The Voyage to Resilience: Creating Value through Partnerships,” and will present a free public event 3:30 to 7 p.m. today.

Among the keynote speakers are Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, who spoke to the conference in 2014 about how rising sea levels were forcing his people from their island home.

Anticipated sea-level rise could render Kiribati uninhabitable by the middle of this century, and Tong, whose 12-year run as president ended in December, has not only fought against global warming, but created programs to help with planning for the eventual relocation of the entire population of Kiribati if current trends in climate and sea level change continue.

Other conference speakers include Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Blue Planet Foundation founder Henk Rogers and Timothy Manning, Federal Emergency Management Agency deputy administrator for protection and national preparedness.

The conference is an annual gathering of leaders who consider the latest research and developments in regard to the growing dangers faced by coastal communities. Those dangers include hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Organizers describe the PRiMO conference as a venue for training, panel discussions, working groups and activities that assist communities in preparing for and responding to disasters, adapting to climate change and developing resilience.

This year’s conference offers a free public event titled “Hawaii Prepares 2016,” which will provide information about protecting homes and families from natural disasters.

The event’s sessions include “Insurance in Hawaii: How It Really Works,” “Hawaii Climate Adaptation Initiative” and “Interactive Session on How to Make Cities More Resilient.” Free validated parking will be available with a donation to the Hawaii Foodbank.

Nonpublic sessions will examine emergency management, climate adaptation, tsunami modeling and crisis communications. Presenters include representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center at the University of Hawaii, the state Civil Defense, the National Weather Service and the Pacific Disaster Center.