Vanuatu NAB Search
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Vanuatu is among the most vulnerable countries on earth to the increasing impacts of climate change, including climate-related natural disasters and the effects of slow-onset events such as sea-level rise and ocean acidification.
As the effects of global warming manifest and the hazards of climate change arise at accelerating rates, there is a need to shift the paradigm towards the standardised and mainstreamed use of science-based climate information, at multiple timescales, to support resilient development pathways.
The proposed project will support this paradigm shift through the strengthening and application of Climate Information Services (CIS) in five targeted development sectors: tourism; agriculture; infrastructure; water and fisheries.
More specifically, the project will build the technical capacity in Vanuatu to harness and manage climate data; develop and deliver practical CIS tools and resources; support enhanced coordination and dissemination of tailored information; enhance CIS information and technology infrastructure; and support the application of relevant CIS through real-time development processes, for more resilient outcomes.
The project has a focus on addressing information gaps and priority needs of target beneficiaries at national, provincial and local community levels across the five priority sectors.
The project will deliver enhanced:
capacity and capability of national development agents, to understand, access and apply CIS
CIS communications, knowledge products, tools, and resources for practical application to development processes.
reliability, functionality, utility and timeliness of underlying CIS delivery systems and data collection infrastructure.
scientific data, information and knowledge of past, present and future climate to facilitate innovated and resilient development.
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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).
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The project proposes to support the institutionalization of sustainable transport and electric transport in Vanuatu by i) establishing a coordination body consisting of public and private stakeholders; ii) support the preparation of a gender-responsive national sustainable land transport policy; iii) preparation of a E-Mobility Roadmap including the definition of an incentive scheme, charging network development plan and an innovative end-of-life vehicle strategy; iv) establish statistical systems for the collection, processing, and analysis of key data points for decision-making; and v) capacity building of key stakeholders.
To overcome the challenges and barriers of infrastructure the following actions support the initial uptake of electric vehicles in Vanuatu: i) Feasibility study on the introduction of EVs in a controlled pilot project in Vanuatu to assess applicable technical specification and economic, social and environmental benefits; ii) the deployment of EVs as part of the government vehicle fleet with the integration of Renewable Energy (RE) for vehicle charging within a controlled environment; and iii) technical training for the monitoring, operation and safety of EVs.
C) In coordination with the work on addressing infrastructure and governance challenges, the following will work will be integrated throughout the project: i) preparation of knowledge-sharing material for different target groups; ii) seminars, workshops and hands-on outreach events on sustainable mobility and EVs
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News
By incorporating climate data and information to improve the resilience of road infrastructure, SPREP is assisting Vanuatu through the Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Planning in Vanuatu (VanKIRAP) project in reviewing and updating the current version of the Vanuatu Rural Road Design Guide. The Gap Analysis Report presents findings from a global literature analysis and benchmarking effort in regard to the identification of climate resilience challenges and gaps in the current edition of the Vanuatu road design guidance. It also identifies potential for improvement.
The gap analysis draws upon a series of input documents to develop a log of gaps, issues, and opportunities that need to be addressed in the new design guidance to be developed by the VanKIRAP project. The report also draws upon the issues, gaps, and opportunities identified through stakeholder consultations with national stakeholders within the Infrastructure sector, including the Public Works Department, Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department, and others. Funding for the review and development of the new Vanuatu Road Design Guide is provided by the Green Climate Fund.
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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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Oxfam International is a world-wide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against poverty. In the Pacific, we work with our partners to ensure that Pacific Islander women and men (specifically those that are poor, marginalised or excluded) are leading and shaping their development and where their voices are heard and acted on by those in power. In the Pacific, Oxfam’s regional office is based in Suva, Fiji, where our Fiji country office and our base for remote cluster management of the Polynesia/Micronesia country office are also located. We also have offices in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
The Pacific Islands Climate Change Collaboration, Influencing and Learning (PACCCIL) project is a four year (2018 – 2021) project funded for the first two years by Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). It aims at strengthening the influencing capacity of civil society actors and networks to ensure that action on climate change in the Pacific region is more effective, inclusive and collaborative. The project will work with key climate change action networks in Vanuatu and at the regional level, as well as facilitate the organising and collective action of civil society actors in Solomon Islands and the Polynesia and Micronesia sub-regions against climate change.
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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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The World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 provides a unique opportunity for governments, UN agencies and civil society actors to set an ambitious agenda for empowering women and girls as change agents and leaders in humanitarian action and ensuring gender responsive humanitarian programming. However for these commitments to translate into meaningful action, it is critical to respond to the barriers that currently impact women’s leadership in emergencies, and build upon the existing efforts of women first responders and women-led organisations. ActionAid has produced this paper to ensure commitments arising from the World Humanitarian Summit are grounded in the realities of women affected by humanitarian crises and reflect their priorities.
This paper draws together findings from focus group discussions with women from multiple regions and draws upon ActionAid’s experience from a range of humanitarian contexts, including rapid and slow onset disasters and protracted crisis. It presents the barriers and opportunities for women’s leadership in humanitarian response as identified by women from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, occupied Palestinian territory (Gaza), the Philippines and Vanuatu. This data is overlayed with available evidence to validate the findings and demonstrate their applicability across diverse contexts.
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As the #1 ranked country for vulnerability on the World Risk Index, the lives of men and women in Vanuatu are constantly threatened by climate change and disasters. Following the most devastating cyclone to ever hit Vanuatu – cyclone Pam in 2015 – and widespread drought as a result of a strong El Nino event throughout 2015 and most of 2016, the impacts are growing ever more severe with climate change predicted to increase the intensity and impacts of such events over time. This research assesses the extent to which the eight markets that UN Women supports through its Markets for Change (M4C) programme on Efate and Santo Islands are vulnerable to climate change.
The study set out to map, document and understand the relative vulnerability of these municipal markets and their vendors, farmers and wider communities to climate change risks. The outcomes are practical measures and policy recommendations that can be implemented by the M4C project, municipalities and other relevant stakeholders to reduce this vulnerability and to prepare for disasters.
The recommendations made are not simply for the purpose of future climate change adaptation but are ‘no regrets’ strategies that will benefit Vanuatu market vendors, women and communities regardless of the extent of future climate change. They will be implemented in a progressive fashion along with a disaster preparedness plan that is to be developed at each market as a priority. The study has been repeated at M4C markets in Fiji and Solomon Islands.
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Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change and disaster risks. The island nation experiences cyclones, storm surges, landslides, flooding and droughts, which may become more intense as a result of climate change. Vanuatu is also highly exposed to geophysical threats such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as human, animal and plant diseases, and human-caused disasters.
The vision of this Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy is for Vanuatu to be a nation whose communities, environment and economy are resilient to the impacts of climate change and disaster risks. Risks cannot be completely eliminated, however this policy provides a framework through which risks can be identified, assessed, reduced and managed.
At the global, regional and national levels, disaster risk reduction and climate change agencies, activities and funding have been previously managed separately. A recent shift in philosophy now views the integration of climate change and disaster risk reduction initiatives as the best way to make use of resources and avoid duplication of effort. Vanuatu started this process with the establishment of the National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in 2012.1 The government undertook a risk governance assessment to analyse Vanuatu’s climate change and disaster risk governance capacity and needs at both national and local levels.2 The policy incorporates recommendations from that assessment and draws on local, provincial and national consultations.
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The devastating impacts of climate change are already being felt around the globe, threatening sustainable development and resilience, impairing socioeconomic development and reinforcing cycles of poverty. Scientists are increasingly able to confidently attribute the increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events – such as droughts, heatwaves, floods and cyclones – to human-induced climate change.
Worldwide, the poorest people bear a disproportionate burden of climate stress, yet they have contributed least to the drivers of climate change. In the face of predicted growing weather extremes and profound shifts in natural systems, the need is greater than ever to support the most vulnerable people and countries in finding effective strategies to manage risks and unexpected shocks and to build resilience to climate impacts.
This detailed policy report illustrates how well-designed climate risk insurance – when applied in conjunction with other disaster risk management measures and strategies – can protect people against climate shocks by acting as a safety net and buffer shortly after an extreme weather event. It shows how, in this way, insurance can promote opportunities by helping to lessen financial repercussions of volatility and can stimulate transformation by incentivizing risk reduction behaviour and fostering a culture of prevention-focused risk management. In addition to seven guiding pro-poor principles for delivering climate risk insurance the report also provides recommendation for implementation, including the relevant actors and their roles.
The research and results feed into the G7-initiated InsuResilience Initiative, hosted by the GiZ in Bonn, Germany.
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Vanuatu is expected to incur, on average, 48 millionUSD per year in losses due to earthquakes and tropicalcyclones. In the next 50 years, Vanuatu has a 50% chanceof experiencing a loss exceeding 330 million USD andcasualties larger than 725 people, and a 10% chanceof experiencing a loss exceeding 540 million USD andcasualties larger than 2,150 people.
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Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural hazards on the planet, (World Bank, 2011). More than three quarters of the population are at risk from not just one, but multiple disaster events, including: tsunamis, volcano eruptions, flooding, cyclones and many more. According to the Pacific Catastrophic Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (PCRAFI), undertaken by SPC and World Bank in 2010, Vanuatu can lose up to VT4 Billion in one year due to cyclone and earthquakes. Against this backdrop, Disaster risk management has become a cross-cutting issue that affects all sectors of Vanuatu and all development priorities and programs. Disaster risk management and climate change have been included into the current Priorities for Action Agenda 2011-2016. In September 2012, Vanuatu launched the National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAB) to better manage and coordinate Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction programs in Vanuatu and facilitate mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into sectoral policies and planning. The resources provided by this project will strengthen the NAB and assist the Government to conduct thorough hazard and risk assessment in the urban areas and use the data to inform national land use planning policies including the design of a Tsunami warning system for both urban areas.
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This report explores the opportunities that recognising blue carbon could bring to Vanuatu. Commissioned by the Government of Vanuatu from the Commonwealth Secretariat, it sets out the opportunities, supportive arguments, and issues and potential barriers around incorporating blue carbon as part of their overall climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy. While a number of blue carbon projects elsewhere are focused primarily (or soley) on monetising the financial value of carbon through carbon credit schemes or similar, the Commonwealth Secretariat believes this to be an inherently risky strategy. Carbon prices may vary or crash, and such an approach is often at odds with cultural and societal values, especially in the Pacific region.This report takes a broader look at the full range of values blue carbon can hold for Vanuatu, describing the values of blue carbon habitats, what is already known about such habitats in Vanuatu, and how existing projects and initiatives can help form a useful basis from which to proceed. As such it may act as a blueprint for studies elsewhere in the Pacific and more widely, though the exact mix of recommendations made here are specific to Vanuatu. This is due to the relatively small area of blue carbon habitats present, but also the strong and intimate links through customary stewardship between local communities and the health and wellbeing of their surrounding environment.The report makes 12 major recommendations stemming from this analysis and the overall conclusion of the net positive effect that would be achieved from implementing a blue carbon initiative in a stepwise approach, in isolation, or with other countries in the region.
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The topographic and bathymetric LiDAR survey for Vanuatu was developed by the PACCSAP program in collaboration with the NAB. It included high priority areas of Efate, Malekula and Espiritu Santo, as well as some of the smaller islands nearby. Airborne surveys flown between September and November 2012 captured the data for Efate and Malekula Islands. The survey for Espiritu Santo, which was initially delayed due to poor weather conditions, was completed in May 2013.
The link below will provide you with access to high resolution LiDAR imagery. The Vanuatu Globe was previously also accessible via the 2D Google Maps Engine, however Google has now discontinued this service.
For more information on accessing the LiDAR data, please contact Brian Phillips at the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department, piccap@vanuatu.com.vu.
Vanuatu Globe | 3D Google Earth
To access the Vanuatu Globe in Google Earth (3D) you will need to have the latest version of Google Earth (Free) installed. Follow the below instructions to access the Vanuatu Globe in Google Earth:
1. Download and install the latest free version of Google Earth application
2. Download the Vanuatu Globe kml file by clicking here. The file is attached on this page which can be downloaded directly. If you cannot access this file, email riaken@meteo.gov.vu
3. Save the Vanuatu Globe kml to your desktop
4. Double click on the Vanuatu Globe KML to open it
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This resource material is designed as a generic guide for planning, implementing and reporting an integrated vulnerability assessment (IVA) that targets atoll communities in the Pacific Islands region. It is based on a sustainable livelihoods-based approach that combines the assessment of vulnerability to both climate change and disasters.
The key principles of this IVA toolkit include the: • interconnectedness of social and ecological systems; • interconnectedness of sectors (e.g. water, forestry, agriculture, fisheries) and livelihood assets (natural, infrastructural, human, financial and institutional); • long-term and continuous iterative learning and knowledge co-production between local communities and technical resilient development practitioners; • an emphasis on participatory learning and action (PLA) tools that values, draws and builds on traditional and local knowledge experience so as to give local communities ‘ownership’ and empowerment; • facilitation of inclusive decision-making that creates opportunities for engaging vulnerable groups; and • the valuing of local and traditional knowledge and the full engagement and ownership of beneficiaries at various stages of the resilient development process.
This toolkit is a product of a comprehensive design, trial and reflection process on the part of the Kiribati National Expert Group (KNEG), SPC, SPREP and GIZ climate adaptation and disaster risk management practitioners
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Le changement climatique est l'un des sujets dont on parle le plus dans le monde parce qu'll affecte le quotidien de tous les habitants de la planete, y compris ceux qui vivent dans les iles du pacifique. Les scientifiques disent que lechangement climatique pourrait rendre les saisons chaudes plus longues et amener beacoup de pluies durant la saison humide.
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Ocean warming may well turn out to be the greatest hidden challenge of our generation. This report represents the most comprehensive review to date on ocean warming. To build up the report, leading scientists from around the world were invited to join with colleagues to contribute individual chapters. It contains many recommendations from the scientists on capability gaps and research issues that need to be resolved if we are to tackle the impacts of ocean warming with greater confidence in the future. The focus of the report is on gathering facts and knowledge and communicating this to show what is now happening in and to the ocean. There is purposefully much less focus on political ramifications. We hope that this report will help stimulate further debate and action on such issues.
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Approach to Climate Change
Vanuatu ratified the UNFCCC in 1993 and the Kyoto Protocol (as a non-Annex I country) in 2001. It made its first national communication to the UNFCCC in October 1999 and the country’s Climate Change Office within the Vanuatu Meteorological Service has participated in workshops to prepare its second national communication. A National Action Plan on Adaptation was submitted in 2007. Vanuatu is a member of the Alliance of Small Island States. The United Nations Population Fund classes Vanuatu as one of the nations most vulnerable to natural hazards and says it faces significant hurdles because it is trying to eradicate widespread poverty at the same time as addressing climate change.
Particular areas of potential impact from climate change include agriculture, water, coastal and marine resources, infrastructure and tourism. Numerous documents have been published that aim to help Vanuatu prepare for potential climate change impacts. A National Adaptation Programme for Action (NAPA) was published in June 2007, and in 2006, a Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management National Action Plan 2006- 2016, and a Priorities and Action Agenda 2006-2015 were released. The government published a draft National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) in July
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Climate Adaptation Methodology for Protected Areas (CAMPA) Coastal and Marine is designed to build the resilience of protected areas and associated ecosystems based on a thorough understanding of their vulnerability to climate change and a participatory agreement on the best ways to respond to these threats. With minor adjustments the methodology could be adapted to terrestrial and freshwater protected areas.
CAMPA does two main things:
• It provides practical and scientifically sound guidance to facilitate climate change vulnerability assessments of coastal and marine protected areas (CMPAs).
• Based on an understanding of that vulnerability, it then facilitates decisionmaking on the most appropriate adaptation actions.
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The Monitoring Indicators Survey, developed with Intercluster guidance, engages real-time national data collection from the ground up through the even targeting of mobile users located throughout Vanuatu. The purpose of the Monitoring Indicators is to identify thematic hotspots and to track changes any over time.
Hotspots are determined based on the percentage of respondents, which is approximately 20 per area. Low numbers (1-3 respondents) can create high percentages from one response, and are therefore highlighted. Areas of most interest are hotspots identified as red, orange or yellow due to the higher percentages of respondents citing difficulties or challenges. It is recommended that further sectoral analyses are directed toward hotspots of interest to determine causation or identify relevant cross sectoral correlations. In the table below, hotspots are approximated geographically into North, East, South, West and Central. In the accompanying maps, hotspots are visible by Island and Area Council.
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This poster highlights the benefits for small island-based tourism businesses in Vanuatu to utilize renewable energy. It is jointly prepared by the Department of Tourism, the Department of Energy & GIZ.
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This project report is an update of activities for all Pacific ACP countries that the project works in and has a specific section on Vanuatu.
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