Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2016-2030.

The purpose of this policy is to: articulate Vanuatu’s vision, principles, strategic goals, priorities and strategies for climate change and disaster risk reduction; provide the framework for mainstreaming climate change and disaster risk reduction into sustainable development processes; improve coordination and planning of programmes, projects and funding across ministries, departments, development partners, academia, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the private sector; ensure that stakeholders, including donors, CSOs, the private sector and communities understand and align themselves and their actions with Vanuatu’s policy direction; strengthen the ability of governance and financial systems to access additional funds, enabling more equitable sharing in resourcing relative to Vanuatu’s high level of vulnerability; and facilitate accountability through monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Vanuatu has a rapidly growing population in both urban and rural areas, and there is a high level of reliance on natural resources for livelihoods and food security. Subsistence farming is a major feature of life in Vanuatu’s villages. These factors add to the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of climate change and disaster risks.
8.2 Climate change and disaster risks impact greatly on the lives of women and their social and economic well-being. In disaster preparedness, as well as response and recovery, women make enormous contributions to the welfare of their communities. It is vital that women have full opportunities to participate in policy development, decision-making and implementation at all levels. Initiatives are under way to ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into all climate change and disaster risk reduction efforts, and efforts should be increased. 7. Take action around loss and damage by: strongly advocating internationally and domestically to operationalise and implement action under the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage; developing a loss and damage implementation framework, including risk sharing, insurance and compensation approaches at replacement value; conducting assessments on potential and actual loss and damage across the country linked with ongoing vulnerability assessment processes; determining priority Vanuatu sectoral issues and quantifying losses (e.g. food security, culture, ecosystem services and integrity); mainstreaming loss and damage into land and relocation policies and laws; etc.
6. Vanuatu’s strategic goal for climate change and disaster risk reduction is resilient development including activities that enable and strengthen capacities to absorb and quickly bounce back from climate and/or disaster shocks and stresses. This goal will drive planning, decision-making, programming and project delivery across government and its partners, and is aligned with the Vanuatu government’s National Sustainable Development Plan 2016–2030. Six strategic priorities for this policy that will contribute to achieving the strategic goal are grouped under two categories: Strategic priorities that are categorised as systems include governance, finance, and knowledge and information. The strategic priorities that are categorised as themes include climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, low carbon development, and response and recovery.