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Republic of Vanuatu’s First Biennial Transparency Report (FBTR)
Under the Vanuatu’s First Biennial Transparency Report to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Submitted by: Ministry of Climate Change, Republic of Vanuatu
Executive summary
This inaugural Biennial Transparency Report for Vanuatu serves as a comprehensive overview of the nation’s efforts to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. It encompasses critical aspects of Vanuatu’s national circumstances, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, progress tracking for nationally determined contributions (NDCs), climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, as well as financial and technological support needs and responses related to climate change. Additionally, the report addresses initiatives aimed at averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts.
I. National Circumstances and Institutional Arrangements
Vanuatu’s unique geographical and socio-economic context is characterized by its status as a small island developing state (SIDS), facing significant vulnerabilities due to climate change. This section outlines the institutional frameworks in place to facilitate climate governance, including coordination mechanisms among government agencies, civil society, and local communities. The report emphasizes Vanuatu's commitment to integrating climate action into national development plans, promoting resilience, and ensuring sustainable development.
II. National Greenhouse Gas Inventory
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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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CURRENT AND FUTURE INFLUENCE OF TROPICAL CYCLONES ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN VANUATU
This case study describes tropical cyclone impacts on agricultural production in Vanuatu, using a step-by-step approach. Guidance around conducting this type of step-by-step assessment is provided in more detail on the Van-KIRAP web portal, along with other climate impact related case studies (also termed infobytes), factsheets, visualisation tools and technical resources. This case study can be used as an example for undertaking similar climate hazard-based impact assessments.
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GENDER EQUALITY, DISABILITY, AND SOCIAL INCLUSION (GEDSI) ACTION PLAN FOR CLIMATE INFORMATION SERVICES FOR RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT IN VANUATU (VAN KIRAP)
A Roadmap to Promoting Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion in Climate Information Services in Vanuatu.
This gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) action plan has been developed for SPREP for the country of Vanuatu. It has been produced in addition to a GEDSI analysis for the Climate Information Services for Resilient Development in Vanuatu (Van KIRAP) project.
Following the United Nations Climate Change Gender Action Plan, this gender, disability and social inclusion action plan sets out outcomes and outputs under five priority areas that aim to advance knowledge and understanding of gender and inclusion-responsive climate action and mainstreaming.
1. Capacity building, knowledge management and communication
2. Gender balance, inclusive participation, and inclusive leadership
3. Coherence
4. Gender and inclusive-responsive implementation and means of implementation
5. Monitoring and reporting
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News
The Van-KIRAP project information in Bislama and English for appropriate action.
The Bislama translation was done by the Government translators.
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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 Cloud Nasara Pacific Climate Animation Project aims to increase awareness of the science and impacts of climate variability in the Pacific, and to provoke discussion around how communities can take ‘low regrets’ actions to prepare for future El Niño and La Niña events and adapt to climate change. Cloud Nasara is an innovative new collaboration between Red Cross and the Australian Government’s Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning Program (PACCSAP). The project is being implemented by the Red Cross, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) and the SPC-GIZ Climate Change Program. Two short comical animation films are being developed as communication tools. One film will give an overview of climate processes and impacts in the Pacific region as a whole. The other film will be specifically focused on Vanuatu as a pilot country. They will be accompanied by a comprehensive ‘tool kit’ which will include resources to help facilitators link the information presented in the animation to decision making and action. The Cloud Nasara project is being developed through an ongoing consultative process, which includes research, focus groups, forums and direct communication with key stakeholders in Vanuatu and across the Pacific region. Cloud Nasara will be launched in June 2013. The films and accompanying resources will be useful for organisations, government, schools, and community groups in Pacific countries and by regional bodies across the Pacific and may assist those working in areas such as disaster risk management, health, food security, community planning, and environmental protection. Contact: Ula Majewski – umajewski@meteo.gov.vu
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2016 annuel report coping with climate change in the Pacific Islands Region CCPIR
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Tropical Cyclone (TC) Pam was one of the worstnatural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. Thecountry suffered loss and damage to an extentthat vastly overwhelmed its own capacities. Astrong El Niño, in the months following the cyclone, actedas additional multiplier for existing development problems,especially with regard to water and food securityin rural areas. In many ways, the cyclone and its impactsreflect political, conceptual and operational challengesthat lie at the heart of the current debate on loss anddamage (L&D) and clearly illustrate the need for comprehensiveclimate risk management (CRM).TC Pam has been recognised as an opportunity to learnlessons and draw up recommendations for [German]development cooperation (DC) and its partners in theregion on how to address the issue of comprehensiveclimate risk management, including climate risk insurance.The objectives of this study were to identify thoselessons in order to inform Germany’s current and futureregional cooperation in Vanuatu and the South Pacificregion.This report gives an overview and socio-economiccharacteristics, disaster risk and CRM institutions andprogrammes in Vanuatu and the region and providesbackground on activities of German development cooperation.It further presents the main findings on lessonslearned from the response and recovery phase basedon a review of available documentation and a mission toVanuatu in October 2015. The last chapter details recommendationsdeveloped by the mission team.Climate change represents one of the greatest challengesfacing the South Pacific region. In response to thesechallenges, the Pacific is the first region in the world thatintegrates climate change and disaster risk managementinto a single overarching regional strategy. A number of
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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 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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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 Climate Council is an independent, crowd-funded organisation providing quality information on climate change to the Australian public. This factsheet contains useful information about the influence of climate change on tropical cyclones, coastal flooding, storm surges, etc.
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This publication updates the original Current and Future Climate of Vanuatu brochure published in 2011, providing useful information about Vanuatu's current climate, changing climate, and future climate. The content of this brochure is the result of a collaborative effort between the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazard Department and the Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning (PACCSAP) Program – a component of the Australian Government’s International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. The information in this publication, and research conducted by PACCSAP, builds on the findings of the 2013 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, and uses new emissions scenarios and climate models.
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Community participation is essential to effectively address communities’ needs in relation to climate change. Conventionalmedia forms that are easily accessible in the Paciªc Islands region, including digital media, require strategic integrationof both message creation and dissemination with stakeholder inclusion. This article argues that use of informationand communication technologies (ICTs) not only enables information dissemination, but also invites localparticipation in communicative processes. Greater citizen engagement in content creation improves community understandingof the issues around climate change by including local perspectives, cultural knowledge, and concernsspeciªc to the area. Recording, sharing, and discussing these changes in community settings will inform new thinking,with the potential to change perceptions and attitudes toward this urgent problem.
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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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In the years to come, climate-related shocks and trends will amplify the challenges and risks of displacement for the people of the Pacific. In this context, this paper analyses the opposite perceptions of the migration process in the Pacific from the main receiving countries in the region (Fiji, Australia and New Zealand). This is explored through a hybrid approach employed in the postulation of a legal framework, which would attempt to create a balance of interest between the migrants and the receiving countries articulated on socio-economic and environmental parameters. Applicable international instruments and relevant measures of international organizations are explored and analysed with a view to resulting gaps and shortcomings.
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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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The Forty-Seventh Pacific Islands Forum was held in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia from 8 – 10 September 2016 and was attended by Heads of State and Government of Australia, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The Solomon Islands was represented by their Deputy Prime Minister, the Republic of Fiji, Niue and the Republic of Palau by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Kiribati by a Special Envoy. The Forum Leaders’ Retreat was held at FSM Congress Chamber in Palikir on 10 September 2016.
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The FRDP identifies three inter-related goals that need to be actively pursued by all stakeholders, working in partnership, in order to enhance resilience to disasters and climate change in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.
1. Strengthened integrated adaptation and risk reduction to enhance resilience to climate change and disasters Pursuing this goal entails successfully managing risks caused by climate change and disasters in an integrated manner where possible, within social and economic development planning processes and practices, in order to reduce the accumulation of such risks, and prevent the creation of new risks or loss and damage. This goal will contribute to strengthening resilient development and achieving efficiencies in resource management.
2. Low-carbon development Pursuing this goal revolves mainly around reducing the carbon intensity of development processes, increasing the efficiency of end-use energy consumption, increasing the conservation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and enhancing the resilience of energy infrastructure. This goal will contribute to having more resilient energy infrastructure in place, and to increase energy security, while decreasing net emissions of greenhouse gases.
3. Strengthened disaster preparedness, response and recovery Pursuing this goal includes improving the capacity of PICTs to prepare for emergencies and disasters, thereby ensuring timely and effective response and recovery in relation to both rapid and slow onset disasters, which may be exacerbated or caused by climate change. Disaster preparedness, response and recovery initiatives will reduce undue human losses and suffering, and minimize adverse consequences for national, provincial, local and community economic, social and environmental systems.
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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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This report uses these generic methods to provide recommendations for climate resilient development in the PICs in the following sectors: coastal protection, flood management, water resources management, protection of infrastructure against changes in temperature and precipitations, protection of buildings against cyclone winds, and adaptation in the agriculture sector.
A new World Bank report has highlighted the need for Pacific Island countries to better incorporate climate and disaster risk management into planning and development, while proposing priority investments and policies to boost resilience to the year 2040.
Launched in Fiji today at the Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific Region, Pacific Possible: Climate and Disaster Resilience considers the economic costs of climate adaptation, and proposes adaptation strategies for areas including infrastructure and buildings, coastal protection, water resources, flooding and agriculture, with special consideration given to the unique challenges of atoll islands.
“Climate change and extreme weather events have the potential to adversely affect coastal zones, water resources, health, infrastructure, agriculture and food security,” said Denis Jordy, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank. “And if new investments are not properly planned, they risk exacerbating the impacts of natural hazards and climate change by increasing the vulnerability and exposure of those at risk.”
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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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