National CCDRR Policy Implementation Plan 2022 - 2026 ( Phase 1)

Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change and disaster risks, routinely being at or near the top of global risk indexes. This high ranking is primarily due to the country’s extreme exposure to natural hazards as well as its limited adaptive capacity. Temperatures in Vanuatu have already increased by approximately 1˚C and are expected to increase further by at least 1˚C by 2030, with increases of up to 3.2˚C by 2090. This increase in temperature is coupled with an increase in sea level of approximately 6mm annually since 1993. This increase is expected to continue and accelerate into the future, with cumulative increases of up to 17cm by 2030 and 63cm by 2090. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is also predicted to increase, and the changing profile of cyclones, storm surges, landslides, flooding, and droughts will result in severe impacts on lives, livelihoods and infrastructure across Vanuatu, affecting both human communities and natural ecosystems.In recent years, the Government of Vanuatu (GoV) has taken significant steps to improve resilience to natural disasters and adaptive capacity to climate change adaptation. These steps include: Passage of the Meteorology, Geological Hazards and Climate Change Act (25/2016; “the Act”). The Act established the institutional arrangements to improve the country’s response to climate change and disasters. This included establishment of the National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAB), establishment of the Department of Climate Change, and clarification of the roles and responsibilities of other Departments under MCC;Promulgation of the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2016-2030 (henceforth known as “the Policy”). Among the motivations for the Policy were to bring together the fields of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Vanuatu, which had hitherto been managed separately. As the Policy points out, “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;|Formulation of the National Policy on Climate Change and Disaster-Induced Displacement (NPCCDID). The NPCCDID aims to support and protect persons who, for reasons of sudden or progressive changes in the natural or build environment that adversely affect their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or chose to do so, either temporarily or permanently. It also aims to support and protect people at-risk of displacement, including internal migrants and/ or persons who choose to or are required to relocate, as well as host communities providing support to these population groups.This Implementation Plan builds on these achievements and works to advance a coordinated whole-of-society response to climate change and disasters