Knowledge & Information

The project will improve climate change resilience, food security and livelihood opportunities through community led NBS in coastal communities in Vanuatu. The expected impact is improved and resilient biodiversity, coastal lands, nearshore aquatic resources and livelihoods for the local population.

Primarily, the project will benefit the governments of Vanuatu, and will directly improve the lives of 22,500 beneficiaries/5,000 households equally distributed across Vanuatu. Women and youth will be prioritized, but because the project aims to improve biodiversity, coastal lands, nearshores and aquatic resources, it will benefit the entire populations of Vanuatu.

The project starts with a participatory approach with stakeholder engagement activities for the identification of NBS and the identification and development of women and youth lead entrepreneurship. Through these approaches, participatory conservation and restoration efforts will be truly led by women and youth groups, in partnership with local authorities, through entrepreneurial activities linked to sustainable tourism and learning, as well as community-fisheries that will ensure the empowerment of women, girls and boys and ensure the long-term sustainability of the project. When planning support to strengthen community resilience, the point of departure is to recognize the ever evolving and dynamic nature of communities and the underlying vulnerabilities that challenge them. Being resilient includes being flexible in the face of changing risks, which are especially accentuated in the Pacific given their exposure to climate variability, and increasingly influencing risk patterns along the steps of a change management process for sustainable development. To enable communities to strengthen resilience through NBS, the below elements will be included in the first phase of the project: (i) a broad understanding of the climate induced risks from inaction and its consequences; (ii) a holistic approach to community resilience, as these are multidimensional systems within wider systems, meaning that coordination should be across sectors and should be operationalized across levels; (iii) responding to communities’ own understanding of the risks of inaction and the benefits of sustainable NBS which promote income generation; (iv) people centred, or listening and understanding people’s perspectives; (v) being inclusive, without discrimination.

The main objective of this project is to “improve climate change resilience, food security and livelihood opportunities through community led NBS in coastal communities in Vanuatu.”

There are 3 components:

1. Develop and implement gender sensitive national policies to support nature-based solutions and ecosystem valuation
2. Restore and protect coastal biodiversity, lands, nearshore and aquatic resources through community-led NBS and entrepreneurship, in locations with high dependence on biodiversity and ecosystem services (for resilience and livelihoods).
3. Facilitate knowledge sharing, awareness and collaborative engagement for ecosystem management between communities, islands, countries and territories.

Phase I (January to December 2024): This phase will be marked by a strong focus on achieving Outcome 1 and the activities.

Outcome I: NBS for women and youth Identified

The following activities will be technically designed and led by FAO in close collaboration with UNOPS, local and

national authorities and other relevant partners.

• Activity 1.1: Develop community profiles of the loss of biodiversity, coastal lands nearshore and aquatic resources through participatory consultations and mapping in 11 communities in Vanuatu.
• Activity 1.2: Identify the scope of biodiversity, coastal lands, nearshore and aquatic resources restoration and protection by consulting 11 communities in Vanuatu.
• Activity 1.3: Identify and prioritise traditional practices related to NBS by consulting 11 communities in Vanuatu.
• Activity 1.4: Identify at least 5,000 households from Vanuatu on the basis of their ongoing relevant activities and endorsement by local and national authorities to implement NBS entrepreneurship activities.

Phase II (January to December 2025): This phase will be marked by a strong focus on achieving result 2 and the associated activities.

Outcome II: Women and youth led NBS entrepreneurship established for about 5,000 households.           

• Activity 2.1: Select at least one demonstration site for using NBS and entrepreneurship to restore and protect biodiversity, coastal lands, nearshore and aquatic resources in consultation with local and national authorities in each of the targeted communities in Vanuatu.
• Activity 2.2: Train about 5,000 households in NBS approaches to the restoration and protection of biodiversity, coastal lands, nearshore and aquatic resources in Vanuatu. Organise two separate workshops on restoration and protection.
• Activity 2.3: Propagate, replant and regenerate about 200,000 coastal trees and shrubs in Vanuatu, including through direct seeding. This will include distribution of kits to about 5,000 households, each kit containing at least 15 tree seedlings/propagules (mainly food and culturally important trees), information and tools.
• Activity 2.4: Train about 5,000 households in NBS entrepreneurship. This will cover small business skills, agritourism, value addition, post-harvest handling of crops and fish, marketing and digitalization.

Phase III (January to December xxxxx): This phase will be marked by a strong focus on achieving Outcome 3 and 4, and the associated activities.

Outcome III: A gender sensitive policy to adequately manage coastal ecosystems is developed and implemented 

• Activity 3.1: Enhancing and strengthening of the gender sensitive National Policies for ecosystem management with practical and precise action plans, informed by the project experience of scalable solutions in Vanuatu.
• Activity 3.2: Implement the gender sensitive National Policies developed with practical and precise action plans, informed by the project experience of scalable solutions in Vanuatu

Outcome IV: Public communication campaign promoting NBS developed and implemented via knowledge sharing. 

• Activity 4.1: Drawing on the FAO SIDS Solutions Platform, which facilitates knowledge sharing, identify and develop electronic and video profiles of at least 6 scalable solutions from Vanuatu (5) for learning and learning between Project sites targeted by this project.
• Activity 4.1: Organize and facilitate at least three virtual knowledge sharing and learning workshops that draw on, and promote scalable solutions from the project experience between the targeted Project sites

The project considers the current Vanuatu’s Off-Grid RE and EE Promotion Program as the main baseline effort towards achieving the country’s NERM targets. This program includes the installation of RE-based (mainly hydro, and solar) power generation and distribution systems, as well as some Energy Efficiency interventions. This project aims to fill in critical gaps in Vanuatu’s baseline program.

1. Policy and planning: The project will identify important policy and planning gaps and institutionalize existing policies and plans in place (NERM-IP Plan and NERM) in the baseline program that it will fill, such as guidelines, standards, and incentive policies.
2.  Institutional: The project will focus and represent relatively innovative incremental aspects. System management will be a critical feature in the sustainability of rural RE systems and their replication and thus an instrumental contribution towards meeting NERM targets.
3.  Capacity development:  While Vanuatu has substantial baseline program efforts to install RE systems in off-grid areas, training is very limited and generally consists of one-time training upon installation of systems. For larger-scale systems, capturing wind energy, equipment sourcing, and installation capacity is absent.

Green transport: The project will aim to set example of green transport mechanism by introducing electric vehicles

Financing for energy efficiency: The focus will be given to educating the commercial private sector to set up a loan or equity financing mechanism for Energy Efficiency Equipment and productive uses in rural areas.

The project considers the current Vanuatu’s Off-Grid RE and EE Promotion Program as the main baseline effort towards achieving the country’s NERM targets. This program includes the installation of RE-based (mainly hydro, and solar) power generation and distribution systems, as well as some Energy Efficiency interventions. This project aims to fill in critical gaps in Vanuatu’s baseline program.

1. Policy and planning: The project will identify important policy and planning gaps and institutionalize existing policies and plans in place (NERM-IP Plan and NERM) in the baseline program that it will fill, such as guidelines, standards, and incentive policies.
2.  Institutional: The project will focus and represent relatively innovative incremental aspects. System management will be a critical feature in the sustainability of rural RE systems and their replication and thus an instrumental contribution towards meeting NERM targets.
3.  Capacity development:  While Vanuatu has substantial baseline program efforts to install RE systems in off-grid areas, training is very limited and generally consists of one-time training upon installation of systems. For larger-scale systems, capturing wind energy, equipment sourcing, and installation capacity is absent.

Green transport: The project will aim to set example of green transport mechanism by introducing electric vehicles

Financing for energy efficiency: The focus will be given to educating the commercial private sector to set up a loan or equity financing mechanism for Energy Efficiency Equipment and productive uses in rural areas.

Location: 

The project is focused on outer Islands of the country and emphasis will be given to the areas not covered by BRANTV/GEF project and Green Energy Transformation Project (JSB). Specific site will be selected during development of full proposal.

Pico-hydro PV hybrid demo: 1

Large PV mini grids (about 100 kW each): 5

Institutional PV systems (1.9 – 5.2 kW each): 20

Household-scale PV demos (120 W to 1.6 Kw): 100

Family compound-scale PV deployed across full villages: 20

Wind energy system (wind turbine): 1

Organizational Expertise Justification:

Members of the consortium have been working in Vanuatu for over 30 years. We have extensive experience working together and with the government of Vanuatu to help address the immediate and long-term needs of Vanuatu communities across the country. We also have strong experience in helping communities recover from the impacts of disaster events.

Members of this consortium were the key partners in a three year, DFAT-supported AU$2 million community-based adaptation project – Yumi stap redi long klaemet jenis – which pioneered a comprehensive approach to helping communities and local governments prepare for, and manage the immediate impacts of climate variability and extremes, while building the capacity of women, men, girls and boys to develop climate-resilient development pathways. CARE and Save the Children built on this foundation to implement a further 16-month, USAID-supported US$0.5 million community-based adaptation project, while Oxfam implemented a further three-year, Margaret A. Cargill-supported US$847,000 community-based resilience program which continued to build on existing networks and aimed to increase collaboration, knowledge sharing and support between communities, NGOs, relevant government departments and development partners around increasing community and government resilience. Our agencies have also worked in collaboration with communities from across the six provinces of Vanuatu, national civil society organisations and government to develop and implement disaster risk reduction projects, such as the DiPECHO funded “Be Better Prepared (Yumi Redi)” series of projects that focused on community-based disaster risk reduction activities and encouraged communities to form Disaster Management Committees and to support sustainable development action across a range of key sectors, including: livelihoods; water, sanitation and hygiene; education; and gender equality.

Our organizations have extensive experience developing and implementing large scale, long term projects across a range of sectors globally – including multi-year, multi-agency community-based adaptation projects across the Pacific, as well as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, PNG, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, valued at over AU$50 million in the past five years alone.

As this is a pre-concept note, it outlines the project’s components, expected outcomes, expected outputs, and related budget. The project’s goal is to assist Pacific Islands develop hydrological and water resources data, information, product services, and management practices, to strengthen resilience of Pacific peoples to floods and droughts. It builds on existing infrastructure, data and information, institutional settings, and enhancing the safety, health, food and water security, livelihood and other socio-economic well-being of Pacific peoples.

The project’s objectives are: (1) To improve hydrology infrastructure and communication particularly flood and drought data and forecasting systems to improve early warnings; (2) To improve collection, management, interoperability and use of quality assured hydrological data to support hydrology products and services; (3) To strengthen collaboration among hydro-meteorological services, government, and stakeholders to better manage water resources and flood and drought early warning systems; (4) To strengthen the capacity of National Hydrological Services (NHSs) through accredited training/qualification at national and regional levels; (5) To ensure user requirement processes and development of knowledge management products for public awareness and outreach at all levels.

The project has 4 components that will focus on achieving the following: (1) To ensure effective and coordinated hydrology policy, legislation, and regulation; (2) To upgrade and enhance hydrology and water resources operational infrastructure and monitoring systems for improved resilience to hydro-meteorological hazards and threats; (3) To strengthen communication and awareness on the applications and benefits of hydrological data and products; (4) To improve capacity and knowledge of decision-makers and users of hydrological data and products.

The project’s expected outcomes include the following: (1) Improved policies, legislations, regulations, and coordination that promote and enforce resilience measures; (2) Reduced exposure and strengthened Early Warning System (EWS) for climate related hazards and threats including at regional and national scales; (3) Strengthened awareness, ownership and responses to climate related hazards at regional and national scales; and (4) Strengthened capacity of stakeholders to address and respond to hydro-meteorological hazards and threats.

The project’s expected outcomes will focus on the following: (1) Improved integration of surface and groundwater hydrology and water resources management strategies into development plans, legal frameworks and related policies and regulations; (2) Flooding/inundation, drought and groundwater related risk and vulnerability assessments conducted and updated; (3) Targeted population provided with adequate flood and inundation risk reduction systems and information products; (4) Strengthened capabilities and systems to collect, analyse, manage and disseminate hydrological and hazard information; (5) Improved knowledge and learning products through development of knowledge materials; (6) Targeted population groups participation in adaptation and risk reduction awareness activities related to hydrology and water resources; and (7) Improved capacity for NHSs staff through recognised trainings and mentorships; (8) Enhances capacity for preparedness and responses at national level through trainings and consultations.

The Adaptation Fund (AF) will provide resources to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the Implementing Entity to mobilise the project. The Executing Agencies, SPREP, SPC and WMO, will implement specific project components and activities. The project will also establish a Project Steering Committee (PSC) to oversee the project’s implementation.

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.

An Indigenous led Network of community Environmental Champions, working together for the protection of biodiversity, sustainable development, customary governance, and climate/disaster resilience within the Santo Mountain Chain Key Biodiversity Area of the Western Coastline of the Island of Espiritu Santo in the Republic of Vanuatu

Mission

The Santo Sunset Environment Network (SSEN) shall serve as a catalyst to support and empower individuals, villages and communities in the West Coast and North West Santo region in improving environmental protection and conservation; and to influence the design and implementation of effective, inclusive, resilient and sustainable development strategies in keeping with traditional livelihoods.

Charitable Purposes

To contribute to its Mission, the Network’s charitable purposes include the following:

(a) To prevent environmental degradation by affirming and amplifying existing knowledge, skills and expertise of the people of West and North West Santo

(b) Building new skills, knowledge, awareness and capacity in areas of environment, climate change and other topics

(c) Promoting and enabling of traditional knowledge concerning issues of environmental protection and sustainable development.

(d) Reduce negative human impacts on the environment

(e) Facilitate a sustainable transformation in the way West and North West Santo communities use resources, including on the land, forests, freshwater, the ocean, atmosphere, and energy.

(f) To prioritize sustainable development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

(g) To inspire government, business, community, and individual action related to the environment.

(h) To organize, support, inspire and coordinate Network members to work together and speak with one voice.

(i) To ensure inclusion of gender equity, human rights and development justice in environmental management and action

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.

This project aims to have a significant practical impact on conserving Vanuatu’s rich biodiversity by containing the spread of invasive species, particularly those, which are currently affecting the livelihoods of villagers. It will develop and test community organisation, mobilisation and policy partnerships to enhance management of invasive species particularly in the context of biodiversity conservation and food security. The project will be implemented with communities in partnership with Government departments.

An integrated program of activities will be implemented to increase the quality of information in Vanuatu about invasive species and increase awareness and capacity of Government and rural communities to manage the impact and spread of invasive species. Relevant educational & training resources aligned to the specific needs of Government departments, Chiefs Councils and rural communities’ will be developed, and a program of eradication and management in priority areas where communities depend on food resources that are negatively impacted on by invasive species will be undertaken.

Expected Results

Expected results from the project include:

• High priority research needs, especially for species affecting environment and primary production identified;
• Priority areas and species identified;
• Current information base on invasive species strengthened;
• Profile of invasive species increased;
• Access to information about invasive species and links to sustainable development improved;
• Awareness of invasive species and links to sustainable development, social, environmental and economic impact heightened;
• Border control, community identification of invasive species increased;
• On the ground field trials in priority areas;
• Progress, outcomes and lessons learned through the action effectively communicated through a variety of media;
• Model available for replication in other Small island developing states.

Main Activities

The main activities for the project are organized into four Phases:

ACTIVITY PHASE 1: RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT

Activities in this phase of the project will seek to establish baseline information on knowledge, needed to establish priorities for invasive species management. This will include undertaking a research of aspirations & perceptions to identify the main factors and variables within target communities towards organising and mobilising control of invasive species to better; profiling of key invasive species & identifying important gaps in knowledge.

ACTIVITY PHASE 2: GENERATING SUPPORT FOR MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES

Activities in this phase will include the development of a series of effective, community focused education and awareness resources which identify invasive species, their impact on the overall ecosystem and on agriculture and how to limit their spread with a view to restore ecosystems.

Resources will include a community leadership manual outlining the Invasive Species Management Model that includes an integrated, partnerships-based approach to invasive species management from organizing and mobilizing communities to participating in dialogue with government departments;  a community flipchart with visual profiling of invasive species; a community poster with profiling of invasive species;  media guide tailored for journalists to heighten the profile of invasive species in Vanuatu; a DVD documenting how the model could work at community and government levels.

An Invasive Species Management Model will be developed that will provide a practitioner’s guide that documents the processes, resources, methods and tools to establish baseline environmental and social information to empower communities in identifying priorities; develop needs based education resources aligned to stakeholder values and objectives; facilitate collaborative action partnerships between government and community; and implement meaningful and effective on-the-ground actions to achieve outcomes addressing complex environmental issues.

Training will provided to community leaders and government staff in the mobilization and use of the Invasive Species Management Model, education resources and tools. The purpose of the training will be to build local capacity and skills in using and implementing the model and using the learning resources.

ACTIVITY PHASE 3:  LEGISLATION AND POLICIES

In this phase a National Invasive Species Action Plan will be developed based on priorities identified that will outline roles and responsibilities and their contribution to achieving implementation tasks and strategic goals. A National Invasive Species Coordinating Committee will be convened to oversee implementation of the National Invasive Species Action Plan and support implementation of the Invasive Species Management Model at community level.

A National Invasive Species Information Management System and Database will be developed to record and store invasive species profiles and maps from rural areas in Vanuatu.

ACTIVITY PHASE 4:  CONTROL AND ERADICATION OF INVASIVE SPECIES

Three village-based Invasive Species Management Areas  will test the Invasive Species Management Model. This testing will include all aspects of using the model; planning, implementation and evaluating impact. The activity will be community-based with the Government departments acting as a partner to communities and providing technical support and resourcing.  An evaluation of the model will be undertaken and key  learning’s will guide replication and scaling up of implementation across other south pacific countries.