Vanuatu NAB Search
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World Fisheries Day is celebrated annually on November 21. The annual event recognises the importance of our fisheries whether it’s coastal or offshore. Additionally, it is a call for restoration of some of our degraded ecosystems that support important fisheries. One of which is seagrass. Seagrass is an important blue carbon ecosystem providing ecosystem goods and services such as carbon storage, shoreline protection, food security, tourism revenue and water quality. It is a highly efficient carbon sink, storing up to 18 per cent of the world’s oceanic carbon. According to the UN, twenty-one per cent of seagrass species are categorized as Near Threatened, Vulnerable and Endangered Species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Furthermore, it is estimated that 7 per cent of this key marine habitat is being lost worldwide per year.<br>
Seagrass in the Pacific<br>
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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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News
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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PEBACC is a five year project funded by the German Government, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to explore and promote ecosystem-based options for adapting to climate change. The overall intended outcome of the project is: EbA is integrated into development, climate change adaptation responses, and natural resource management policy and planning processes in three Pacific island countries (Vanuatu, Fiji and Solomon Islands) providing replicable models for other countries in the region.
Overall Goal:
· Natural adaptation solutions are fully integrated into development, climate change adaptation and NRM policy and planning processes in four ecologically and geographically diverse Pacific island countries, also providing replicable models for other countries in the region, and is successfully demonstrated through implementation at national, provincial and local levels.The project will employ staff in Vanuatu; In addition to a SPREP Officer who will be the Vanuatu component project leader for this project and may be based in Vanuatu; One or two locally hired positions will directly support the project implementation and develop linkages to other projects and programmes, it is proposed that a locally hired position will be located within the SPC-GIZ CCCPIR.
Relevant projects and strategy to avoid duplication:
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This Excel-based tool is intended to help project proponents find policy statements to support project proposals. This is not an exhaustive list of policies - only the policies considered most relevant to climate change and disaster risk reduction are included. Policy statements are filterable by sector and thematic area. Please note that policy statements must not be taken out of context and always consult the original policies and strategies to ensure contextual alignment. View the note on methodology for more information regarding how this tool was developed.
System requirements: Excel 2010 or later.
The following policies and strategies are included in this tool:
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The National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy was spearheaded by the Environment Unit (now the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation) in 1999. English and Bislama versions are provided in a single PDF.
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This policy document is a result of various consultations among stakeholders convened to review the livestock policy. It addresses the challenges and constraints arising from the daily activities farmers, traders and the average Ni-Vanuatu faces on a daily basis. This document is consistent with current government strategies stipulated in the sector wide Overarching Productive Sector Policy (2012) and National Sustainable Development Plan 2016 to 2030 developed by the Government. It also covers a wide range of issues of biosecurity including animal health, plant health, trade facilitation and emergency response planning. This policy also highlight the importance of climate impacts which affects the primary sector and the flow on effect which give rise to increased pest and disease incidences: the effects of which biosecurity is left to deal with.
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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 Vanuatu National Environment Policy and Implementation Plan 2016–2030 (NEPIP) is an illustration of the Government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and meets the requirements of a national policy and plan set out in the Environmental Protection and Conservation Act [CAP 283]. The NEPIP sets a solid policy platform for long term planning and action to respond to priority environmental issues being addressed by the Government and its partners. In formulating this policy, the Government focussed on the sustainable management of its environmental assets and the protection of its people.
The NEPIP is also part of a wider policy framework and addresses those matters included in the environment pillar of the National Sustainable Development Plan. It is also an indication by the Government in keeping with its commitments on the SAMOA Pathway, Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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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 assessment of available remote sensing data indicates, that there is almost no potential foractivities reducing deforestation within the CCA/REDD site. Reducing forest degradation byeliminating invasive weeds might show some potential for emission reductions and removals, butrequires further research to assess the management options and their carbon dynamics.
The community areas of Penaoru and Petawata show a potential of 664 ha for enhancing forestcarbon stocks activities. However, 65% of the potential is located outside the CCA/REDD site inareas around the villages. Only one third of the potential (219 ha) relates to areas larger than 1ha.Given the spatial distribution of potential sites, the original concept of a combined CCA-REDD sitehas to be modified. The CCA area can be maintained as established, but its management plan shouldallow for A/R activities considering that some Sandalwood stands have already been establishedinside. In case the REDD+ activities will only encompass A/R activities, the boundaries of theREDD+ sites will become obsolete and can be replaced by the community boundaries. Within thisscenario, Penaoru, Petawata and other communities will register their A/R activities and sites in a(sub)national registry applying an approved protocol. The registry will operate a spatial databaseof all EFCS activities, and measure, report, and verify their GHG removals. In its mature state, theregistry will account for all eligible REDD+ activities across islands and community territories.Early movers willing to participate in piloting REDD+ on Santo Island would have to register theiractivities based on consolidated community territories.
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“Adaptation to Climate Change in the Coastal Zone in Vanuatu” or the Vanuatu Coastal Adaptation Project (VCAP), will provide a valuable opportunity to the Vanuatu government to increase the resilience of its communities to future climate change induced risks such as declining coastal and marine resources and intensifying climate related hazards. The overall objective of VCAP is to improve the resilience of the coastal zone and its communities to the impacts of climate change in order to sustain livelihoods, food production and preserve and improve the quality of life in targeted vulnerable areas.
VCAP will focus on community level adaptation to climate change and will address major environmental and associated socio-economic problems facing coastal communities impacted by climate change such as land degradation, biodiversity loss, and reef destruction, all of which severely undermine prospects for sustainable development and threaten the food security of coastal communities. The project will also build on and enhance CC adaptation initiatives through climate-proofing of infrastructure as needed.
VCAP will also support information and early warning systems on coastal hazards to address the current lack of systematic analysis and prediction of climate-related events. Thus coastal communities will be less vulnerable to the effects of climate change with improved information management and data dissemination systems in place.
This bi-monthly progress report details the various activities conducted from March to April of 2015. This is the first of an ongoing series of VCAP bimonthly reports. The following sections provide detail on initial activies conducted through VCAP after TC Pam and in preparation for the inception phase of project implementation.
This Report features the following Contents:
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The Invasive Species Flipchart is designed to support community groups working to address the issue of invasive species in Vanuatu. These groups can include farmers, NGOs and other agencies. Government ministries, high schools, universities and colleges may also find the chart useful.
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This book is about how you can use trees and gardens together to reclaim land that has been overrun by Big Leaf Rope. This approach has many benefits. Most importantly, it will allow you to make use of otherwise wasted land, and turn it into a fertile and productive garden. Techniques outlined in this book will allow for an increased crop yield and overall profit, helping to better support you and your family. It will help to increase the variety of crops you can grow, and provide further opportunities down the road selling timber from trees. Equally, trees and wildlife that are often supressed by Big Leaf Rope will also have a chance to grow back again, helping to restore Vanuatu’s rich biodiversity. Using this technique, ongoing efforts to maintain your plot and keep it free from Big Leaf Rope will decrease, making it easier to keep your garden and surrounding environment healthy and productive. We believe that by following the approach described here, you will see benefits for your community, your environment, and even to your income. This step by step guide aims to help you in setting up your own ‘agroforestry garden’ either on your own, or as a community.
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With this project IUCN Oceania seeks to address the key challenges of mangrove management to increase the resilience of the Pacific people to climate change and improve livelihoods.
THE PROJECTWith the MESCAL project IUCN Oceania seeks to address the key challenges of mangrove management to increase the resilience of the Pacific people to climate change and improve livelihoods. By working with five Pacific Island Countries (Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga) IUCN Oceania will promote an adaptive co-management approach as well as the restoration of mangrove ecosystems.
BACKGROUNDPacific Islanders are at the forefront of climate change; experiencing its varying impacts on coastlines, biodiversity, economy and most importantly on livelihoods. The conservation of mangroves and associated ecosystems is a key natural adaptation strategy and mitigation measure to climate change. Mangrove ecosystems provide goods and services highly valued by the people of the Pacific. However, this unique ecosystem faces continuing threats from overharvesting, degradation and land reclamation.
SITUATIONProtection of mangrove ecosystems will in turn safeguard the livelihoods of Pacific Island communities, especially for coastal dwellers. Weak governance, disconnect between formal and traditional management systems, limited baseline information, weakening traditional management, lack of awareness and limited capacity are the key challenges of mangrove management in the Pacific.
DONORGerman Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) under its International Climate Initiative.
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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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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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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 Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)2013-2021 is designed to safeguard the Earth’s biologically rich and most threatened regions known as biodiversity hotspots. It is a joint initiative of Conservation International (CI), l’AgencieFrancaise de Developpment (AFD), the European Union (EU), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Governemnt of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. CEPF is a unique funding mechanism in that it focuses on high-priority biological areas rather than political boundaries, and examines conservation threats on a landscape scale. It is from this perspective that CEPF seeks to address conservation needs through coordinated regional efforts. Its fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. CEPF’s US$9 million investment in the East Melanesian Islands hotspot was launched in 2013 and will continue until 2021. As we near the mid-term phase of CEPF’s investment in EMI (2017)
Vanuatu has been identified to be within the East Melanesian Islands Hotspot The hotspot is one of the most biologically important regions in the planet in terms of species richness and especially endemism. CEPF’s investment will be targeted where it can make the greatest and most sustained contribution to the conservation of globally important biodiversity.
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