- The National Land Use Planning Policy aims to guide land use planning by setting priorities and outlining legislative and institutional settings to enable land use planning that encourages the best current use of Vanuatu's land resources and at the same time allowing for future generations equitably benefit from the same resources. This Policy can be regarded as a framework for land use planning.The Policy follows 3 policy principles:Kastom (traditional culture);
- Equity;
- Sustainable Development.
As Vanuatu is prone to a range of natural disasters and vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the Policy aims at helping to assess, manage, and reduce risk and vulnerability. In terms of land use planning, it proposes several responses to manage risk these are to:
- Develop and formally integrate the use risk and vulnerability assessment tools, methodologies and associated information into land use planning processes at all levels;
- Formally require a consideration of local knowledge and kastom as sources of risk and vulnerability mitigation in land use planning processes at all levels;
- Refuse consent (through legislation or regulation) for land uses and development (public or private) that pose an unacceptable level of risk and vulnerability to Vanuatu's people, livelihoods, infrastructure or ecoystems.
