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Vanuatu

SPC/GIZ Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region (CCCPIR) programme

In Vanuatu, the primary implementing agency for the Coping with Climate cccpir_vanuatuChange in the Pacific Island Region (CCCPIR) project is the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD).

A key area of CCCPIR support to the Vanuatu government has been the restructuring and institutional reform of national climate change governance. SPC-GIZ worked alongside government partners to create the new National Advisory Board (NAB) on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, which is now the country’s supreme policy-making and coordination body on these issues. In addition, CCCPIR worked to design, staff and recruit members of the new NAB Secretariat/Project Management Unit.

Achievements and key mainstreaming activities to date
CCCPIR’s mainstreaming activities on national level:

  • Revision of the government’s high-level policy document, the Priority Action Agenda;
  • Amendment to the Environmental Management and Conservation Act and its associated regulations;
  • Integration of climate change into the new National Curriculum Statement;
  • Development of a draft National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which will soon be merged into a new Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy.

CCCPIR’s mainstreaming activities on sectoral level:

  • Revision and mainstreaming of the National Forest Policy;
  • Mainstreaming climate change into the National Livestock Framework, the Foreshore Development Act and the Physical Planning Act;
  • Development of a National Land Use Planning Policy;
  • Development of a National Agriculture Policy and Vanuatu REDD+ Policy (REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation ‘plus’ conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.)

Other CCCPIR mainstreaming activities:cccpir_vanuatu2

  • Supported VMGD, the National Disaster Management Office,  Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre and the Department of Agriculture to develop Seasonal Climate Forecasts and ENSO products with adaptation advice for farmers;
  • Development of the following manuals and guidebooks for communities: Forest Nursery Adaptation Guidebook, Livestock Husbandry and Climate Change Manual, Solar Fruit Drying Manual, Grafting Manual, and Banana Multiplication Guidebook;
  • Accomplishment of training courses, including the training of departmental directors, officers and others;
  • Development of Vanuatu’s first Bislama-language DVD series on climate change (focusing on agriculture, food security, marine resource management, marine protected areas);
  • Support for the launch of Vanuatu’s Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction WebPortal (www.nab.vu), which serves a national coordinating function with a project database, resource database, contact list, calendar of events, and adaptation strategy matrix;
  • Technical support to NAB in order to organise a pre-COP (Conference of the Parties) event with an aim to mobilise Vanuatu delegates to actively engage towards strong and locally beneficial agreements at the COP18 of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Doha, Qatar, and to ensure that local actors and stakeholders were able to contribute to climate change negotiations.

In Vanuatu, there are two pilot sites for implementing climate change adaptation measures on cccpir_vanuatu_collagecommunity level:

  • Nguna – Pele Island is susceptible to the climate change impacts of sea level rise, costal inundation, rainfall variability, soil nutrient loss, and coastal and hillside erosion;
  • Teouma (South Efate) is susceptible to climate change impacts of rainfall variability, soil nutrient loss, high wind exposure, and excessive temperatures.

Adaptation options for field trials were developed by government technical experts reflecting national priorities and building on the results of detailed vulnerability and adaptation assessments carried out in the pilot sites. To further highlight adaptation options, the project worked alongside the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and five other national partners to develop an add-on Agricultural and Climate Change Assessment to the vulnerability and adaptation to climate change (V&A) assessment methodology and develop a Farming as a Business training module for the Vanuatu National Training Council.

Achievements and key implementation activities to date

Demonstration activities being trialed and evaluated for upscaling at the pilot sites include:

  • Coastal and hillside erosion control measures through forestry;
  • Soil enhancement and composting;
  • Crop diversity trials for climate resilience;
  • Adapted farming system designs for climate change resilience;
  • Livestock breeding trials for climate change resilience;
  • Integrated agriculture and livestock system;
  • Crown of thorns starfish composting;
  • Marine resource management
  • Solar fruit drying and food preservation;
  • Silage livestock feed technologies;
  • Citrus grafting technologies;
  • Banana and yam multiplication technologies;
  • Composting toilet technology;
  • Tilapia backyard urban food security
  • Honey bee husbandry enhancement; and
  • Livestock biogas technology.

These activities will be directly implemented by Vanuatu’s project partners the Department of Agriculture, Department of Forests, Department of Quarantine and Livestock, Department of Environment and Conservation, Wan Smolbag Theater, Live and Learn Vanuatu, the Vanuatu Farm Support Association, and the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre.

Community tourism and climate change in Vanuatu

This component started in 2013 and aims to strengthen the capacity of selected Pacific Island countries to cope with climate change impacts and associated risks for the tourism community sector.

Among the key stakeholders are VMGD, Department of Tourism, Department of Strategic Policy Planning and Aid Coordination, various tourism operators, University of the South Pacific–EU Global Climate Change Alliance (USP-GCCA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

A National Inception Workshop was held in Port Vila in February 2013, and next steps were identified, e.g. site selection.

[/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title="Sustainable energy management"]

CCCPIR launched its sustainable energy management activities in Vanuatu in 2012, and has agreed with stakeholders (Department of Energy, Mines and Mineral Resources and VMGD) on the following priorities:

  • Provide support for the development of the Vanuatu energy road map;
  • Provide support for the development of a data management system and energy database;
  • Carry out studies for energy efficiency in government buildings; and
  • Carry out activities to raise awareness of financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Support has been given in the development of the Vanuatu energy road map and in government building energy efficiency.

Achievements and key activities to date

  • Completion of an energy audit at the VMGD (VMGD) within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (July 2012). The VMGD Energy Audit Report identifies investment opportunities in energy efficiency (and renewable energy where appropriate) in government buildings;
  • Preparation of an estimated energy balance, which found that most of the energy use in the VMGD building was for lighting, air conditioning and IT equipment.

In its curriculum review process, Vanuatu decided to strengthen foundations and basic concepts cccpir_vanuatu_education2of climate change and disaster risk management across different subjects from Kindergarten to Year 13. The process of introducing relevant elements into national teacher training programmes has commenced. Climate change has been incorporated into the Vanuatu National Curriculum Statement, the syllabus and assessment standards, taking the principles of education for sustainable development into account. Educational institutions are provided with support to develop and offer corresponding training and educational resources.

In Vanuatu, the CCCPIR education component has organised several major climate change and curriculum workshops with the curriculum writers for both secondary and primary levels. The writers were able to think through the various subjects and learning areas, and identify ways to incorporate climate change into existing and new syllabi. One key success factor was that the messages on causes and effects of climate change in Vanuatu were presented by a broad range of national stakeholders, such as the meteorology office, the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and a tourism company. CCCPIR provided technical support for training for primary and secondary school teachers on how to improve science skills (including climate change) among students. The Vanuatu National Training Council, which is responsible for technical and vocational education and training, has now included competencies on climate change and disaster risk management in its qualification framework.

The Ministry of Education identified the children’s book Pou and Miri learn to tackle climate change as a useful literacy and climate change resource, and CCCPIR provided French and English copies of the book to be disseminated to Vanuatu schools and kindergartens.

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Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region (CCCPIR) programme
Vanuatu