The aim of the Vanuatu Recovery Strategy is to support communities impacted by Tropical Cyclone (TC) Harold and COVID-19, by providing a framework to recover, rebuild and emerge stronger and more resilient.&nbsp; Section 1 outlines the challenge that TC Harold in combination with COVID-19 created. Section 2 responds to the social, economic and environmental impacts of the compound disaster to set out the core priorities for the next three years. It sets out guiding principles for the recovery, conducts an assessment of needs, and sets recovery objectives, strategies and outcomes. One recovery strategy is to strengthen disaster preparedness, response and recovery mechanisms and structures. This relates to climate and disaster resilience and aims at fostering a a strong and resilient nation in the face of climate change and disaster risks posed by natural and man-made hazards, as set out in the NSDP. Another climate change-related recovery strategy is to support sustainable self-reliance, including food self-sufficiency. As an outcome, this sub-strategy envisions improved farming practices, use of technology and traditional knowledge, crop choices including climate and disaster resilience and strategic import substitution.

This document sets Vanuatu's strategy regarding displacements of populations. These displacements occur, either temporarily or permanently, because the people are no longer able to reside on the land on which they live or lose access to land and natural resources upon which their livelihoods depend. A major cause for disasters causing displacement identified in the document is climate change.&nbsp; The policy seeks to minimise the drivers of displacement, better understand the population's needs and wishes and take it into account, and promote access to disaster-resilient housing. It further identifies current policy gaps, and aims to optimise displacements so they can be more durable, through 1) sustainable return and reintegration at the place of origin, 2) sustainable local integration in areas where displaced persons have taken refuge, and 3) sustainable integration in another part of the country.

The vision of this policy is to include all persons with disabilities in all communities, provincial and national development efforts by 2025. All persons with disabilities shall have equal access to their rights.&nbsp; The goal of this policy is to guide action in priority areas to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy their right to participate effectively in all areas of development in Vanuatu on an equal basis with others. The Policy has five guiding principles: </div><ol><li>Respect;</li><li>Shared responsibility;</li><li>Autonomy;</li><li>Equality of opportunity and non-discrimination;</li><li>Melanesian and religious values.</li></ol><div> As one of the priority sectors for mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities climate change is named. When planning for disaster risk reduction and climate change resilience, persons with disabilities must be included on all levels.

The Vanuatu National Fisheries Sector Policy sets out the vision, high-level policy directions, and strategic implementation framework for the sustainable conservation, management and development of fisheries and aquaculture in the Republic of Vanuatu, and ensures integrated approaches across all sectors.&nbsp; The policy highlights priority issues in this sector and set outs a number of key strategic actions to address these challenges. It focuses on improving: &nbsp; 1) Fisheries governance, and sustainable and economically viable fisheries and aquaculture;&nbsp; 2) Access to finance, improved infrastructures, market access, seafood safety and value- adding;&nbsp; 3) Sustainable growth, employment, food security and livelihood.&nbsp; This policy is structured around eight strategic policy objectives, each of which is underpinned by more specific strategic actions and policy directives. Strategic policy objection no. 5 focuses on environment management, climate change and disaster risk reduction. It is underpinned by the following strategic actions: </div><ul><li>Strategic action 24: Undertake an environmental impact assessment and baseline study to assess climate change impacts</li><li>Strategic action 25: Implement mitigation and adaptation activities in readiness for disasters</li><li>Strategic action 26: Promote community-based management and climate change adaptation</li><li>Strategic action 27: Work with communities to identify and establish marine conservation areas and develop ecotourism ventures</li></ul><div>

This is Vanuatu's National Sustainable Development Plan 2016 to 2030 and thus represents the&nbsp;highest level policy framework to make the country stable, sustainable and prosperous. It notably seeks to make the country more resilient to adverse effects of climate change, notably natural disasters, and to promote blue-green growth, notably renewable energy.&nbsp;

The Meteorology, Geological hazards and Climate Change act sets the following objectives: 1) to ensure a high quality services provided in relation to weather, climate, flood forecasting and geological hazards; 2) to promote capacities of governments, communities and organisations to understand and respond to risks arising frim weather events, climate change and geological hazards; 3) address the needs of operators of ships and aircrafts and of tourists to access all necessary weather forecasts, bulletins, alerts, warnings and information concerning geological hazards; 4) facilitate the use and application of relevant information, forecasts, bulletins and warnings generated to and by local, regional and international bodies.&nbsp;

The 2002 Act forms the basis of environmental legislation in Vanuatu andfocuses on four main areas:
- Administration
- Environmental impact assessments
- Biodiversity
- Bio-prospecting laws and community conservation areas (CCAs)

The Amendment Act makes a number of important changes directly relevant to climate change.It includes a definition of climate change ('a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods', page 3), adds the concept of ecosystem services and processes to the Act, and applies the precautionary principle to any decision made regarding the environment that may risk human health or threaten damage to the environment. It also specifies that any decision made under the terms of the Act must be guided by consideration of climate change adaptation and mitigation issues.

The Act requires that the director of the department responsible for the environment must include in their Environmental Registry a climate change database in joint co-ordination with the National Advisory Committee on Climate Change. It also requires that the National State of the Environment Report, published at least once every 10 years, must include a description of national climate change activities, impacts and issues. It requires that climatic considerations and issues be incorporated into any National Policy for the conservation, sustainable development and management of the environment. Further, it specifically identifies climate mitigation as a critical ecosystem service that may be provided by sites of national biodiversity significance and enables the Minister to make any regulations necessary to uphold Vanuatu's obligations under the UNFCCC for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

It establishes an Environmental Trust Fund, funded by penalties and bonds, which is to fund research, environmental rehabilitation, monitoring and analysis, management of community conservation areas, and as required for the protection and conservation of the environment.It also makes several amendments to enforcement provisions, environmental impact assessment procedures, bio-prospecting processes, and details of what constitutes an offence (and the associated punishments) under the 2002 Act.

The Act regulates the definition, granting, transfer and registration of forestry rights in Vanuatu, and the harvesting and accreditation of timber plantations. It enables a proprietor of a lease (as registered under the Land Leases Act) to grant a forestry right over the land covered by the lease. 
 
The definition of forestry right includes a carbon sequestration right which is defined as ‘a right conferred by agreement or otherwise to the legal, commercial or other benefit (whether present or future) of carbon sequestration by any existing or future tree or forest on the land'. The Act therefore establishes a separate property right that enables carbon rights to be decoupled from land rights (and thus provides for the allocation of carbon rights). However, while almost all land in Vanuatu is held under customary tenure, only approximately 9% is leased, with a further 90% unleased. Therefore the majority of landholders will not be able to exercise similar rights to forest carbon. 
 
The Act was amended in 2012 (the Forestry Rights Registration and Timber Harvest Guarantee (Amendment) Act No. 8 of 2012) to include reference to sandalwood products.

Vanuatu NDC Revised and Enhanced, Nationally Determined Contribution from Vanuatu in 2022

Vanuatu. Biennial update report (BUR). BUR 1., Biennial Update Report from Vanuatu in 2021

Vanuatu First NDC (Updated Submission), Nationally Determined Contribution from Vanuatu in 2021

Vanuatu. National communication (NC). NC 3., National Communication from Vanuatu in 2021

Vanuatu First NDC (Archived), Nationally Determined Contribution from Vanuatu in 2016

Vanuatu National Energy Roadmap

Law passed

The National Energy Roadmap, published by the Department of Energy with assistance from the Australian government and the World Bank, proposes a long-term development plan for the energy sector to reduce its reliance on imported petroleum fuels and focuses on five energy sector priorities, each with specified targets and associated strategic directions for action (note that some targets are included in several different areas but are each included here once for brevity): 
- Access to secure, reliable and affordable electricity for all citizens by 2030 
o Within concession areas; 75% household connected by 2015, 90% by 2020 and 100% by 2030 
o Close to concession areas; 33% household connected by 2015, 90% by 2020 and 100% by 2030 
o Off-grid grid areas; 100% households having access to modern electricity via individual homes systems and basic power products by 2020 
o Public Institutions; 90% having access by 2015 and 100% by 2020 
- Reliable, secure and affordable petroleum supply throughout Vanuatu 
o Reduce the cost of distributing all petroleum products in Vanuatu by 5% in 2015 and 10% in 2020 
o Improvements in Health, Safety and Environmental Standards. All Operators to meet new standards by 2020 
- A more affordable and low cost of energy services in Vanuatu 
o 40% renewable energy generation by 2015 and 65% by 2020 
- An energy secure Vanuatu at all times 
o 10% improvement in diesel efficiency by 2015 and 20% by 2020 
- Mitigating climate change through renewable energy and energy efficiency 
o Comprehensive data collection established to set realistic targets and begin energy efficiency initiatives

10% improvement in diesel efficiency by 2015 and 20% by 2020 by 2015, 2020 against a 2013 baseline

40% renewable energy generation by 2015 and 65% by 2020

Vanuatu National Energy Roadmap

Main documents

Targets (2)

Timeline

Note

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