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World Fisheries Day is celebrated annually on November 21. The annual event recognises the importance of our fisheries whether it’s coastal or offshore. Additionally, it is a call for restoration of some of our degraded ecosystems that support important fisheries. One of which is seagrass. Seagrass is an important blue carbon ecosystem providing ecosystem goods and services such as carbon storage, shoreline protection, food security, tourism revenue and water quality. It is a highly efficient carbon sink, storing up to 18 per cent of the world’s oceanic carbon. According to the UN, twenty-one per cent of seagrass species are categorized as Near Threatened, Vulnerable and Endangered Species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Furthermore, it is estimated that 7 per cent of this key marine habitat is being lost worldwide per year.<br>
Seagrass in the Pacific<br>
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Starting Situation
Seagrass, mangroves and salt marshes sequester carbon at rates up to 66 times faster than terrestrial forests and store up to 5 times more carbon per hectare. Pacific Island Countries (PICs) possess significant Seagrass and Mangrove (SaM) resources, providing further ecosystem services related to shoreline protection, food security, tourism revenue and water quality. Habitat loss has been increasing rapidly, yet no adequate baselines exist to determine extent of habitats, rates of loss, or design of targeted management solutions. Methods for the assessment of carbon stocks and emissions in SaM areas exist since 2012, but have not been applied consistently to SaM areas in PICs. Policy makers and researchers note the urgent need to collect nationally relevant SaM data based on consistent methods, that ensure transparency and traceability to mitigate the loss of the world’s coastal carbon sinks and reduce the decline of coastal biodiversity.
Short Project Description
In close collaboration with national and regional partners (SPREP, SPC, USP, CSIRO, CIFOR) and the “Blue Planet” Initiative within the global Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the project will be mapping the SaM status in each of the 4 partner countries, and will assess related carbon storage capacity and ecosystem services. Resulting national inventories of SaM habitats, and associated blue carbon sinks and ecosystem service values will support government partners and policy makers in their efforts to strategically develop and implement conservation, management and rehabilitation efforts. Governments will be assisted to establish nationally appropriate incentives for sustainable management and rehabilitation efforts based on the quantification and documentation of SaM carbon stocks and the resulting emission reductions as part of NDCs and National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs).
Project
The Vanuatu Klaetmet Infomesen Blong Ready, Adapt mo Protekt (Van-KIRAP) Project is developing and delivering climate data, information,decision support tools and associated knowledge products in the form of climate inofrmation services to raise climate awareness and guide decision-making for a range of key stakeholders in Vanuatu.
The climate information services are relevent services are relevant across multiple time scales including current and future climate, and relate to five priority sectors: infrastructure, water, agriculture, fisheries, and tourism.
The product, specifically relevant over multi-decadal (climate change) timescale, are presented in multiple formats, including hard copy and digital, and are accessible via a new cloud-based portal hosted by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Harzards Department (VMGD).
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News
IUCN Marine & Coastal Biodiversity in Pacific Islands Countries & Atolls Project (MACBIO) is supporting the Vanuatu Government achieve sustainable management of ecosystems and marine resources in country. Natural resources in marine and coastal areas are of high importance for Vanuatu and sustain the livelihoods of coastal communities. However, the need to use marine resources sustainably is not well reflected in national planning processes, due in part to insufficient information regarding their economic value and lack of concerted marine spatial planning.
MACBIO project 2013-2018 aims to help Vanuatu to meet their commitments under the CBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and the relevant Aichi targets, including the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (POWPA) and the Programme of Work on Island Biodiversity (POWIB) Specifically, the project aims to enhance ecosystem-based management and support more effectively managed marine resources which should lead to more resilient coastal and marine economies, more sustainable use of marine biodiversity, and will contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as securing and strengthening local livelihoods. Tried and tested concepts and instruments will be adopted in Vanuatu.
The MACBIO project is being implemented by GIZ with technical support from IUCN-Oceania in close collaboration with SPREP.
. The IUCN components of the project aim to achieve the following outcome and outputs:
Outputs (specific project goals):
An ocean-wide policy and spatial planning framework
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PEBACC is a five year project funded by the German Government, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to explore and promote ecosystem-based options for adapting to climate change. The overall intended outcome of the project is: EbA is integrated into development, climate change adaptation responses, and natural resource management policy and planning processes in three Pacific island countries (Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon Islands) providing replicable models for other countries in the region.
Overall Goal:
· Natural adaptation solutions are fully integrated into development, climate change adaptation and NRM policy and planning processes in four ecologically and geographically diverse Pacific island countries, also providing replicable models for other countries in the region, and is successfully demonstrated through implementation at national, provincial and local levels.The project will employ staff in Vanuatu; In addition to a SPREP Officer who will be the Vanuatu component project leader for this project and may be based in Vanuatu; One or two locally hired positions will directly support the project implementation and develop linkages to other projects and programmes, it is proposed that a locally hired position will be located within the SPC-GIZ CCCPIR.
Relevant projects and strategy to avoid duplication:
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Van-KIRAP will support VGMD to provide five target sectors, including the Water Resources Divisionand its stakeholders, with climate information ready to be used in current and planned activities. Asector Coordinator in the Water Resources Division will co-ordinate the Water and Climate Action andCommunication Plan to advance the mainstreaming of climate information services into Water policy,planning, design and delivery.This document reviews existing information on climate and climate change as they affect Vanuatu’sWater sector and summarises current policies, strategies and frameworks. It provides the WaterClimate Action Plan and Communication Plan developed through a collaboration between the WaterResources Division and the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD).
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Van-KIRAP will support VGMD to provide five target sectors, including the Department of Tourism andits stakeholders, with climate information ready to be used in current and planned activities. A sectorCoordinator in the Department of Tourism will co-ordinate the Tourism and Climate Action andCommunication Plan to advance the mainstreaming of climate information services into Tourismpolicy, planning, design and delivery.This document reviews existing information on climate variability and change as they affect Vanuatu’s tourism sector and summarises current policies, strategies and frameworks. It provides the Tourism Climate Action Plan and Communication Plan developed through a collaboration between the Department of Tourism and the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD).
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Van-KIRAP will support Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD). to provide fivetarget sectors, including the Department of Fisheries and its stakeholders, with climate informationready to be used in current and planned activities. A sector coordinator in the Department of Fisherieswill co-ordinate implementation of the Fisheries and Climate Action and Communication Plan toadvance the mainstreaming of climate information services into fisheries policy, planning, design anddelivery.This document reviews existing information on climate variability and change as they affect Vanuatu’s fisheries sector and summarises current policies, strategies and frameworks. It provides the FisheriesClimate Action Plan and Communication Plan developed through a collaboration between theDepartment of Fisheries and the VMGD.
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Van-KIRAP will support VGMD to provide five target sectors, including the Ministry of Infrastructureand Public Utilities (MIPU) and its stakeholders, with climate information ready to be used in currentand planned activities. A sector coordinator in MIPU will co-ordinate implementation of theInfrastructure and Climate Action and Communication Plan to advance the mainstreaming of climateinformation services into infrastructure policy, planning, design and delivery.
This document reviews existing information on climate variability and change as they affect Vanuatu’s Infrastructure and Public Utilities sector and summarises current policies, strategies and frameworks. It provides the Fisheries Climate Action Plan and Communication Plan developed through a collaboration between the Department of Fisheries and the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD).
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The LECB Programme phase II aims to assist Vanuatu to implement Output 1 under the programme: Policies, institutional frameworks and national MRV systems strengthened and harmonized to mainstream national mitigation policies and targets in the context of NDCs. This output is expected to support the review and/or formulation of roadmap for NDC implementation including new mitigation actions beyond current NDC commitment periods. The key activity results includes: designing of NDC implementation plans and institutional frameworks; designing and implementation of MRV systems to support implementation and evaluation of NDCs and designing and strengthening the NAMAs in the context of NDC implementation through robust frameworks for NDC implementation plans and future rounds of NDCs.
Project
The Ministry for Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management, Government of Vanuatu, contracted NIWA (The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd.) for the ‘Supply, delivery and installation of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in six different locations in Vanuatu’ (SC G02).
This work supports the Adaptation to Climate Change in the Coastal Zone in Vanuatu (V-CAP) project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by UNDP and the Vanuatu Ministry for Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management.
The overall goal of the project was to enable the Government of Vanuatu to develop improved climate information and early warning services for the people of Vanuatu, particularly in vulnerable coastal areas of the country.
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This Excel-based tool is intended to help project proponents find policy statements to support project proposals. This is not an exhaustive list of policies - only the policies considered most relevant to climate change and disaster risk reduction are included. Policy statements are filterable by sector and thematic area. Please note that policy statements must not be taken out of context and always consult the original policies and strategies to ensure contextual alignment. View the note on methodology for more information regarding how this tool was developed.
System requirements: Excel 2010 or later.
The following policies and strategies are included in this tool:
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The National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy was spearheaded by the Environment Unit (now the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation) in 1999. English and Bislama versions are provided in a single PDF.
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This policy document is a result of various consultations among stakeholders convened to review the livestock policy. It addresses the challenges and constraints arising from the daily activities farmers, traders and the average Ni-Vanuatu faces on a daily basis. This document is consistent with current government strategies stipulated in the sector wide Overarching Productive Sector Policy (2012) and National Sustainable Development Plan 2016 to 2030 developed by the Government. It also covers a wide range of issues of biosecurity including animal health, plant health, trade facilitation and emergency response planning. This policy also highlight the importance of climate impacts which affects the primary sector and the flow on effect which give rise to increased pest and disease incidences: the effects of which biosecurity is left to deal with.
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The Government of Vanuatu has decided to develop an oceans policy, which aligns with recommendations from theCommonwealth Secretariat.This report summarises the main findings1 of an analysis and assessment of 69 instruments of legislation andsubordinate policies and plans that are relevant to management and use of Vanuatu’s territorial waters and thereforerelevant to the development of the national oceans policy. The review of Vanuatu’s legislation, policies, strategies andplans relating to oceans management is part of the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific IslandCountries (MACBIO) project.The approach to the review involved an analytical framework comprising three components:1. Individual analysis of legislation, policies, strategies and plans;2. Integration of individual analyses into an assessment table for comparative analysis and assessment; and3. A report which provides an assessment narrative based on the individual analyses and the information from theassessment table.
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Vanuatu Marine Ecosystem Service Valuation SUMMARY & Final report
This study,conducted in 2015, aimed to determine the economic value of seven marine and coastal ecosystem services in Vanuatu. The study forms part of the broader MACBIO project (Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries and Atolls) that aims to strengthen the management of marine and coastal biodiversity in Pacific island countries.
The role that natural ecosystems, especially marine ecosystems, play in human wellbeing is often overlooked or taken for granted. The benefits humans receive from ecosystems, called ecosystem services, are often hidden because markets do not directly reveal their value – nature provides these benefits for free. Failure to recognize the role that marine ecosystems play in supporting livelihoods, economic activity, and human wellbeing has, in many instances, led to inequitable and unsustainable resource management decisions.
Coastal and marine resources provide Ni-Vanuatu businesses, households, and government many real and measurable benefits. The exclusive economic zone of Vanuatu, nearly 700,000 square kilometers of ocean, is more than 50 times larger than the country’s land area. This report, describes, quantifies and, where sufficient data is available, estimates the economic value of many of Vanuatu’s marine and coastal ecosystem services, in an effort to inform sustainable and equitable management decisions and support national marine spatial planning.
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Coastal fisheries provide staple food and sources of livelihood in Pacific Island countries, and securing a sustainable supply is recognised as a critical priority for nutrition security. This study sought to better understand the role of fish for Pacific Island communities during disasters and in disaster recovery. To evaluate community impacts and responses after natural disasters, focus group discussions were held with men and women groups at ten sites across Shefa, Tafea, Malampa and Sanma provinces in Vanuatu. The combined impacts of category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam (TC-Pam) in March 2015 and prolonged El-Niño induced drought have had a profound impact across much of Vanuatu. Terrestrial systems had been disproportionately impacted with substantial shortages in drinking water, garden crops, cash crops and damage to infrastructure. Localized impacts were noted on marine environments from TC-Pam and the drought, along with an earthquake that uplifted reef and destroyed fishing grounds in Malampa province. Communities in Malampa and Shefa provinces also noted a crown-of-thorns outbreak that caused coral mortality. The significant reduction in terrestrial-based food and income generation capacity generally led to increased reliance on marine resources to cope and a shift in diets from local garden food to rice. However, limited market access, lack of fishing skills and technology in many sectors of the community reduced the capacity for marine resources to support recovery. A flexible management approach allowed protected areas and species to be utilized as reservoirs of food and income when temporarily opened to assist recovery. These findings illustrate that fish and fisheries management is at the center of disaster preparedness and relief strategies in remote Pacific Island communities. High physical capital (e.g.
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The Vanuatu National Environment Policy and Implementation Plan 2016–2030 (NEPIP) is an illustration of the Government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and meets the requirements of a national policy and plan set out in the Environmental Protection and Conservation Act [CAP 283]. The NEPIP sets a solid policy platform for long term planning and action to respond to priority environmental issues being addressed by the Government and its partners. In formulating this policy, the Government focussed on the sustainable management of its environmental assets and the protection of its people.
The NEPIP is also part of a wider policy framework and addresses those matters included in the environment pillar of the National Sustainable Development Plan. It is also an indication by the Government in keeping with its commitments on the SAMOA Pathway, Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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This vocabulary was created as part of the Griffith University Pacific iClim Project. The Project has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade initiative Government Partnerships for Development Program to support SPREP in implementing a regional approach to climate change data and information management throughout the Pacific.
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The Project, Mangrove Ecosystems for Climate Change Adaptations and Livelihoods (MESCAL), coordinated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Oceania Regional Office (ORO) is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). MESCAL involves five countries: Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The project is based at the IUCN ORO in Suva, Fiji within the Water and Wetlands Programme. It is managed by a Project Management Unit (PMU) currently consisting of one coordinator and three support staff. MESCAL started in December 2009 with the country component ending December 2013, although the IUCN component is extended to December 2014.
A mid-term review (MTR) was carried out from 22 January to 11 March, 2013 by Dr Kenneth T MacKay, an environmental consultant with considerable experience and familiarity with the Pacific Islands, mangrove projects, and monitoring and evaluation.
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