Climate change communication and education
2. Climate change education and training in the country
3. Climate change communication in the country
i. Climate change context
The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago of volcanic islands located in the Melanesia region of Oceania and one of the small island developing states, which the World Bank recognized in 2021 as extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts and disaster risks. The World Bank categorizes Vanuatu as a lower-middle income country. Consisting of a federal system with 6 provinces and 83 individual islands, the country had a population of 299,800 in 2019. According to the World Bank, Melanesians are the Indigenous people of Vanuatu (Ni-Vanuatu), and about 8% are immigrants. Of the country’s land, 74% is covered by natural vegetation, including forests, corals and atolls, which form an extensive part of the country’s biodiversity; hence, 80% of Vanuatu’s population depends on nature-based livelihoods. Vanuatu’s economy mainly depends on agriculture and tourism sectors.
As per the Third National Communication (2020), Vanuatu’s climate varies from wet tropical in the north to subtropical in the south, with much drier rain-shadow areas in between. The country’s temperature has been on the rise since the 1970s, causing unpredictable variability in nature and in precipitation patterns. The climate of the country is strongly influenced by El Niño-Southern Oscillation, which is a driver of drought, floods, and rising sea levels. Combustion of fossil fuels for electricity production and transportation forms the highest contributor of CO2 emissions, and livestock are a major source of methane emissions in the country. Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) highlights the country as a carbon-negative country.
According to the Global Carbon Atlas, Vanuatu’s per capita emissions were as low as 0.5 tCO2 in 2021, yet the nation is facing the most extreme weather events in the form of heat waves, droughts, cyclones, and storm surges. Other major climate impacts that Vanuatu has already experienced include sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and ocean acidification.
The country joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a Non-Annex 1 country. Vanuatu signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 and accepted the Doha Amendment in 2018. The country signed and ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016.
Vanuatu successfully led a coalition of 132 countries in adopting a United Nations General Assembly resolution to call for a non-binding advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of states under international law to protect people and the environment from the adverse effects of climate change. The landmark resolution was adopted by consensus in March 2023. In the run-up to the United Nations vote on the resolution, Vanuatu’s parliament also declared a climate emergency in the country in May 2022.
Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) emphasizes that the Indigenous population of Vanuatu Melanesians are at high risk from climate-induced loss and damage, which threatens the survival of their traditional knowledge, and their ownership of assets and land. The Indigenous people form one of the highest priority areas for adaptation in the country. Further, Vanuatu focuses on gender responsiveness and intergenerational justice in climate debates and has implemented policies and priorities, such as the National Gender Equality Policy (2015-19) (2015) and National Youth Development Policy (2012-2022) and Strategic Plan of Action (2012-2015) (2012), in which intersections with environment and climate change are significantly taken into consideration. The country also has a National Disability Inclusive Development Policy (2018-2025) (n.d.), which integrates the rights of persons with disabilities into policies, plans, and programs across the disaster risk reduction and climate change sectors.
ii. Relevant government agencies
Climate change
The Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation (MoCC), created in 2014, is the centre for the Government of Vanuatu’s efforts for climate change, natural disaster responses and sustainable development. With a vision to ‘Promote A Resilient, Sustainable, Safe and Informed Vanuatu’, the Ministry’s Department of Climate Change, is tasked with the coordination and implementation of all climate adaptation, disaster risk management and mitigation-related measures across the country. The Department’s functions are cross-cutting at national, regional and international levels, and works with identified stakeholders under the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015) policy. The Department also acts as the UNFCCC Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Focal Point.
The Ministry of Climate Change oversees four other departments including the Department of Energy, the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation, the National Disaster Management Office and the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department.
- The Department of Energy is involved in the development of energy-related policies, legislation, and regulations such as the Tonga Energy Road Map 2010-2020 (2010). The Department guides the development of energy services and is also responsible for the identification, implementation, management, and evaluation of energy projects, as well as providing awareness and training activities such promoting energy efficiency and conservation best practices.
- Development, coordination and implementation of environmental policies and programs are the responsibility of the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation. The Department’s activities include working with communities, researchers, and municipal and provincial governments on environmental conservation issues, such as waste and pollution.
- The National Disaster Management Office works on disaster preparedness and response in the country, and this includes the impact of climate change. The Department works in collaboration with local and international civil society, promoting disaster-resilient communities and strengthening disaster risk reduction and disaster- management plans. The Department is also involved in strengthening and mainstreaming national, provincial and community-level policy for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programs and activities.
- The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department is responsible for the provision of world-class meteorological and geo-hazards information to contribute to the sustainable development of the country and the Pacific region. The Department has seven divisions, including dedicated Weather Forecast and Climate Services units.
Vanuatu’s National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction is the primary independent body of the Government of Vanuatu for policy-making and advice related to disaster risk reduction and climate change programs, projects, initiatives and activities. The Ministry of Climate Change, along with the Board, is mandated to coordinate all government and non-government climate change and disaster risk reduction initiatives in the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and Biosecurity provides the policy framework to develop, manage, and protect the nation’s resources and to enhance socio-economic opportunities for its population. The Ministry promotes sustainable management of resources and specifically recognizes the role of women and youth and vulnerable groups in agriculture. It further recognizes the need for integration of climate change, disaster risk reduction, and adaptation and mitigation strategies in its development plans and looks forward to utilizing renewable energy for rural development.
Education and communication
The Ministry of Education and Training is the primary agency for the creation of a quality education system, the provision of lifelong skills, and values in Vanuatu. The Ministry works in partnership with various stakeholders to provide student-centred, accessible, sustainable, and responsive education, as well as well-managed schools. Education is embedded in the historical and cultural values of the nation and includes life and livelihood skills to enable young people to contribute to the productive sectors in both rural and urban settings. At the time of this review, the website of the Ministry did not include activities related to climate change.
The Skills Division of the Tertiary Education Directorate, part of the Ministry of Education and Training, oversees the management of the skills ecosystem, with particular focus on supporting the delivery of quality-based, relevant, and inclusive training . The Division focuses on the protection of local culture by supporting creative industries and promoting sustainable tourism and agriculture. The Division is also responsible for the implementation of Vanuatu’s Post School Education and Training Policy (2016-2020) (2016).
The Youth Entrepreneurship Services division of the Ministry of Youth Development & Sport supports young people in the country by equipping them with skills to enter the job market or start an entrepreneurship career through knowledge dissemination and provision of relevant information. Its Olafou Youth Program targets vulnerable young people, who are willing to bring change to their life and their community with training and short courses for building community resilience and strengthening disaster preparedness.
iii. Relevant laws, policies, and plans
Climate change
The Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu (2020) states that every Ni-Vanuatu and their descendants have a fundamental duty “to protect the Republic of Vanuatu and to safeguard the national wealth, resources and environment in the interests of the present generation and of future generations” (p. 5.)
The National Disaster Act (Cap 267; 2006) sets out strategies for the development of policies and implementation of relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations before, during and after disaster events. It mandates the National Disaster Management Office to develop disaster-related education programs for the community and to organize training exercises. However, climate change is not mentioned explicitly.
The Environmental Protection and Conservation Act (2018) provides for the conservation, sustainable development, and management of the environment of Vanuatu and the regulation of related activities. The Act refers to establishing a climate change database and the country’s UNFCCC’s obligations. However, education and communication are not specifically part of the Act.
The Vanuatu Parliament declared a climate emergency in 2022 to coincide with the government’s application to the International Court of Justice to provide an opinion on the obligation to protect vulnerable nations from climate change. The UN General Assembly resolution, that agrees with the request on the role of the International Court of Justice in climate change, was adopted in 2023 as a major step to strengthen local and national climate change action and protect Indigenous Peoples and the environment under global agreements.
The Meteorological, Geological Hazards and Climate Change Act (2016) provides a legal mandate for climate change operations in the island nation. Among the objectives are to
- “promote capacities of governments, communities and organizations to understand and respond to risks arising from weather events, climate change and geological hazards; […]
- facilitate the use and application within Vanuatu of relevant information, forecasts, bulletins and warnings generated and disseminated to and by local, regional and international bodies; and
- ensure that the government and the public are informed of matters related to weather, climate and geological hazards, are able to make effective use of such information and data, and to respond to warnings and alerts about such events, in order to protect the environment and the safety and welfare of the community.”
- Meteorological, Geological Hazards and Climate Change Act, 2016, p. 3
Furthermore, the various functions outlined in the Act include public awareness of and education on the effective use of meteorological information, as well as the development of appropriate educational curricula to cover climate change topics.
Recognizing the role of adaptation, the government launched the National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007), which identified a list of priority areas for adapting to the dangerous impact of climate change, including a list of province-wise adaptation options. The Program stressed core issues that need to be part of all the proposed activities, which include awareness raising at all levels (communities to policymakers), capacity building, research and development, promotion of traditional knowledge and practices, education and training, and mainstreaming of climate change issues.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) was designed to integrate climate change adaptation into core sectoral functional activities to achieve the vision of building and sustaining a healthy, resilient and prosperous nation. Climate change education and communication is one of the eight outlined objectives:
“Encourage the continued development and application of targeted public outreach measures to increase knowledge and awareness among all people of Vanuatu about the risks posed by climate change, and guide how to incorporate this knowledge into their planning and decision making.”
— National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022), 2011, p. 8
Vanuatu’s National Youth Development Policy (2012-2022) and Strategic Plan of Action (2012-2015) (2012) focused on building the capacity of young people and creating sustained partnerships with youth-based organizations. The Policy specifically aimed to promote youth participation in local and national action by promoting cultural values, education, training, wealth, health, environment, and climate change interventions for their personal and sustainable development. The Policy identified avenues such as awareness and cleanliness campaigns, tree planting, formation of clubs, and youth-focused policy development to encourage young people’s participation in environmental conservation.
Environment is included as an enabling factor in the National Gender Equality Policy (2015-2019) (2015). Identifying women as being more susceptibility to climate change and disasters, the Policy provided proactive steps and strategies to integrate gender perspectives into various sectors, such as agriculture, public works, environment, health, education, and land. Enhancing women’s economic empowerment, promoting women’s leadership and participation, and gender mainstreaming are among the strategic priorities of the Policy.
The National Disability Inclusive Development Policy (2018-2025) (n.d.) includes disaster risk reduction and climate change among the priority sectors for mainstreaming the rights of the specially-abled persons. The Policy emphasizes inclusion of persons with disabilities during the planning of disaster risk reduction and of climate change programs, plans, and policies at the national, provincial, and community levels. To support the mainstreaming, resources were to be provided for disability-inclusive strategies and for training government staff to be aware of the needs of disabled persons.
The Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015) provides a framework for climate risk identification, assessment, reduction, and management. The vision of the Policy is for resilient communities, environment, and economy that are developed on the principles of sustainability and equity. Knowledge and information is one of the six strategic priorities of the Policy, focusing efforts on 1) knowledge sharing, 2) traditional knowledge, 3) information management, 4) lessons learned, 5) research, and 6) data analysis.
The National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), also known as Vanuatu 2030: The People’s Plan, serves as the country’s highest-level policy framework. The Plan focuses on protecting the culture and identity of the people of Vanuatu against the backdrop of the Sustainable Development Goals, laying emphasis on enhanced resilience adaptive capacity to climate change and natural disasters, sustainable growth, and conservation of natural resources. Quality education and climate change resilience are the focus areas, but the Plan does not include climate change education and communication in particular.
The National Water Policy (2017-2030) (n.d.) recognizes that climate change significantly impacts the water security; the Policy also contains targets for improved disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The Policy promotes building local knowledge, coordinated response and partnerships for water conservation through improved data management, lesson learning, and knowledge sharing.
Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) promises the development of advocacy and educational programs about the value of ecosystem-based adaptation, through the implementation of environmental-resilience programs in at least one model school on in each of its provinces. Under the Adaptation Priority Area of Youth, the Plan commits to incorporating risk management and youth leadership activities as well as introducing sustainability-related concepts.
Moreover, the Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) and The Republic of Vanuatu Third National Communication (2020) referred to the formation of a dedicated working group on Education, Training & Public Awareness. The reports highlighted the climate change communication and education activities undertaken nationally such as Vanuatu Skills Partnership and Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region .
Education and communication
The Education Act (2014) makes provision for early childhood and care and for primary and secondary education in Vanuatu. It directs the provision, assistance, expansion, upgrading, and strengthening of the education system in the country. However, it does not include any references to sustainability or climate change.
The goals of the National Education Policy Statement (2010-2015) (2010) of the Ministry of Education and Training were equitable access to education, improvement of the quality of education, and the strengthening of system management. The Policy talks about building an education system that contributes to sustainable development, integrating the key concepts of sustainability with regard to health and the environment at the primary level. The statement guides the curriculum from kindergarten to Year 13.
The Vanuatu Education Sector Program (2012) identifies climate change as a key overarching issue and includes environmental sustainability and safeguards, as well as measures for disaster risk reduction and resilience against climate change. The overall objective of the Program, however, is to improve access to and quality of education.
The Vanuatu National Curriculum for Kindergarten (n.d.) sets out the syllabuses for Language and Communication, Mathematics, Science, and Living in Our Community, with mentions of sustainability under Living Things and Our Environment. The National Framework and Strategic Expectations: Vanuatu Early Childhood Care and Education (n.d.) outlines key expectations for planning, assessment, and instruction pertaining to curriculum development and writing of classroom materials from birth to 8 years of age, with no specific references to natural environment and sustainability.
Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan 2020-2030 (2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the country’s education sector and identifies gender equality, communications, disaster management, and climate change as major cross-cutting issues. The Plan calls for education on disaster risk reduction and preparedness in all schools, for various stakeholders, and for better internal and external coordination mechanisms.
The country’s Post School Education and Training Policy (2016-2020) (2016), developed by the Skills Division of the Tertiary Education Directorate (now the Vanuatu Skills Partnership), prioritizes and integrates the broader environmental objectives of the government based on the principles of inclusion and sustainability. The Policy highlights environmental degradation as a risk to sustainable economic growth and proposes skills and employment opportunities for sustainable production as a means of achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal targets.
iv. Terminology used for Climate Change Education and Communication
Climate change is prominently mentioned in national plans and strategies such as the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), along with ‘sustainable development’ and ‘sustainability’ in education-related policies like the Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan 2020-2030 (2020). ‘Disaster’ and disaster-related terms such as ‘disaster risk reduction,’ ‘disaster preparedness,’ and ‘resilience’ are also widely quoted in the country’s plans.
The Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015) includes key conceptual definitions of climate change and disaster risk reduction. The Policy defines ‘disaster preparedness’ as “the knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions” (p. 31).
The Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015) lays emphasis on ‘access to information’ as a climate change mainstreaming mechanism “for the design of evidence-based solutions to reducing underlying risks and managing residual risk through people-centered preparedness” (p. 27). Moreover, it also talks about ‘stakeholder engagement’ as a means of fast-tracking initiatives and guidelines, with a primary objective of capacity building.
Further, the country primarily focuses on adaptation measures and, thus, the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) offers conceptual definitions related to adaptation, including ‘vulnerability,’ ‘sensitivity,’ ‘adaptive capacity,’ and ‘maladaptation.’ Education is referenced as one of the influencing factors driving adaptation, and the Strategy also discusses ‘awareness’:
“Awareness: Awareness about climate risks is important to help sectors and communities deal with current climate variability and change. Lack of awareness on the part of government authorities, educators and trainers represents a significant impediment to integrating climate change considerations at local decision-making levels.”
— National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022), 2011, p. 27
The Ministry of Education and Training’s Vanuatu Skills Partnership defines ‘technical and vocational education and training’ as
“an education, training or learning activity which provides knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant for employment or self-employment. It comprises all kinds of formal, non-formal and informal skills development wherever it occurs — in institutes, schools, training centers or in the workplace/sites of production.”
The Third National Communication (2020) addressed ‘capacity building’ as building awareness of the country’s vulnerability to climate change both within the Government and the community, as well as ‘[feeding] information, knowledge and technologies to enable improved decision making and environmental management’ (p. 183).
v. Budget for climate change education and communication
According to the World Bank, Vanuatu spent 2.2% of its gross domestic product on education in 2020. However, it is unclear how much of this spending was used for climate change communication and education.
According to the Climate Risk Country Profile: Vanuatu (2021), the budget for disaster management in 2015 was approximately US$ 265,000 per year and the country had a disaster insurance facility of around US$ 17 million.
The country’s national budget for the year 2023 included Improved Resilience and Natural Resource Management as a key priority area and allocated 15% to deal with the impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, the budget did not mention direct funding for climate change communication and education. However, the budget share for addressing climate change was the same as that for “Improved education quality, accessibility and training outcomes for children and young people,” which includes teacher training, materials, higher education opportunities, and entrepreneurship skills. Moreover, according to a 2022 article, Vanuatu has received US$100 million during the last decade, while it suffered losses of US$ 600 million from Cyclone Harold in 2020 alone.
According to the Vanuatu Climate Change Finance Review: Final Report (2018), only 1% of climate change financing was focused on education, and the highest percentage (56%) was allocated to infrastructure projects during the period 2014-2016. Further, the Report showed that the average government expenditure on climate change was only 7.6% in comparison to expenditures unrelated to climate change, such as for health and education, which were 92.4%, for the years 2012-2016 (p. 34).
Vanuatu has a bilateral agreement with the Australian Government for climate change and disaster resilience and has since 2016 has received approximately USD$ 29.6 million from that government. Between 2017 and 2022, the Australian Government supported the education sector through the Vanuatu Skills Partnership, with investments of US$ 4.9 million in 2016-2020 specifically for climate change and disaster out of the total project cost of US$ 23.5 million. Australian partners are working to integrate climate change resilience in vocational training in Vanuatu’s tourism, agribusiness, and handicraft sectors to enable the Indigenous Peoples of Vanuatu to secure their livelihoods. Between 2016 and 2020, Australia provided US$ 1.1 million to Vanuatu for Wan Smolbag Theatre performances to inform locals about climate change and disaster impacts. The Australian Government also supported the Vanuatu Education Support Program, which does not include climate communication and education in particular.
Recognizing the risks of climate change for Vanuatu’s continued development, the New Zealand Government’s Vanuatu: Four Year Plan (2021) promised to encourage global action and improve the country’s climate resilience and preparedness. This would be done through increased access to climate finance and youth employment education and training. To date, New Zealand has provided about US$ 30 million for tourism infrastructure, the Pacific Risk Tool for Resilience, and Vanuatu Rural Electrification projects.
Vanuatu received Green Climate Fund financing of US$ 72.5 million during 2022-2023 through three projects including water security, community-based climate resilience, and climate-information services for resilient planning. The projects covered various climate change education and communication components, such as building capacity among stakeholders, access to climate information and early-warning systems, and providing information and preparedness measures to the public to manage expected climate changes. Furthermore, the Adaptation Fund, meant for building resilience in developing countries, endorsed a five-year livelihood-resilience project for Vanuatu in 2021 worth US$ 7.1 million that would focus on awareness, training, and capacity building for various stakeholders involved in forest and landscape restoration.
Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) stated that climate change funds received by the country were primarily project-based or in the form of loans, while 56% of climate change financing in the country was focused on infrastructure development. The Report further stated that climate change funding for specific sectors had been analyzed for the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), and education had received 1% of total climate change sectoral funding between 2014 and 2016. Among the multilateral and bilateral funding received during the same period, the World Bank contributed the most (28%), followed by the Asian Development Bank (16%) and the Australian Government (14%). Furthermore, of the international funding received by Vanuatu during the period 2012-2023 through 112 projects listed in the Report, approximately 50 included capacity building, community awareness, education, training, and related components.
Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) outlines national commitment, along with the financial assistance required and the level of conditionality for each of the actions. The approximate conditional cost of achieving the commitments of the Nationally Determined Contribution is US$ 1.21 billion.
i. Climate change in pre-primary, primary, and secondary education
Education is administered under the Education Act (2014) for a dual-language system of English and French schools, although Bislama is the common language of communication in the country. A United Nations article brings attention to how the country has been struggling to create a resilient education system highly affected by frequent natural disasters and intense climate-induced extreme weather events.
The formal education system of Vanuatu comprises early childhood care and education (ages 4-5); primary school education, Years 1 to 6 (ages 6-11); junior secondary school, Years 7 to 10 (ages 12-15); senior secondary school, Years 11 to 13 (ages 16-18); and post-secondary education and training (age 19 onward).
Education on climate change and disaster risk reduction is delivered across the country through national curricula in 461 primary and 110 secondary schools (2021) and within the context of education for sustainable development. A 2022 article showed that the country was experiencing a significant drop (over 50%) in student enrolment from primary school to lower secondary education, which was a serious cause of concern for the government.
The Vanuatu national syllabus for Biology (2020) includes a sub-strand on Environmental Biology covering topics such as ecosystems, adaptive features, communities and diversity. Syllabuses for other subjects were unavailable in the public domain at the time of this review. However, a 2021 academic paper analyzed the revised curricula for primary schools and teaching hours allocated to climate change and related topics, finding that in Social Science and Science curricula cover aspects related to climate resilience- during Years 4–6. In Social Science, climate change and disaster risk reduction are included in the Caring for Our Environment sub-strand, principally for Years 5–6. Climate resilience issues are taught in Year 5 Science, particularly causes of climate change adaptation and mitigation, along with traditional methods of conservation and personal action. Disaster risk reduction is taught in the sub-strand Our Changing Earth during Years 4–6. The content is also supported with practical activities such as field excursions, tree planting, community interactions for learners.
The paper stated that, at the junior secondary level, content related to climate change content is limited and only covers Basic Science and Social Science. In Social Science, global warming and cyclones are briefly covered in Year 10 under the strand Our Changing Society. Resilience issues feature in the curricula for Geography, Development Studies, and Earth Science at the senior secondary level. Earth Sciences covers climate science and geology; examines mitigation, adaptation, and vulnerability; and provides technical background in renewable energy and water resources management. Development Studies mainly includes ethical and traditional values related to resilience education. Geography focuses on geological and hydro-meteorological processes and their features, distribution, and impacts. The paper emphasized that no fieldwork or practical activities are available under these three syllabi. As listed in the paper, learning outcomes for these courses range from the identification of technical climate change topics to analysis of climate predictions and description of climate impacts and conventions.
The National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction hosts several climate-related educational resources to teach students about climate change science and impacts and building resilience. For example, Learning about Climate Change the Pacific Way (2014,) supported by the Pacific Community and GIZ, comprises a set of 16 colourful pictures that students can easily relate to and that introduces Pasifika, an imaginary island with depictions of local buildings, plants, animals, people, and geographical features. The pictures cover topics such as global climate, causes, interrelationships and, most importantly, the changing climate of Vanuatu. Another resource is the Cloud Nasara toolkit (2013), which includes a presentation, handbook, and games (also available in French and local Bislama languages). The aim of the toolkit is to increase awareness of the science of El Niño and La Niña and the associated impacts. The toolkit also encourages discussions in Vanuatu schools on how they can access forecast information and work together with other stakeholders to take early action before El Niño and La Niña events. Similarly, an interactive children’s book titled Dany and Rourou: Learning to Fight against Climate Change (2011), a locally adapted Pacific-level version of the Pacific Community and GIZ’s Pou and Miri developed in the French language, tells an imaginative story showing how climate change can affect young children and talks about mitigation and adaptation measures. The book helps children understand how climate change affects the daily lives of everyone on the planet, including those who live in the Pacific Islands.
Improving education delivery in schools is the focus of the Vanuatu Education Support Program (2020), which is supported by a long-term partnership with the Australian Government. The Program builds school-community partnerships, quality learning through school leadership, and overall institutional management. The Year 5 Curriculum Materials Production and Distribution (2020) does not explicitly include climate change education and communication.
The Pacific Community promotes sustainable development and people-centred approaches in the Pacific region. The community’s project on Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region provided support to the Republic of Vanuatu to mainstream climate change into national policies and frameworks. One of the key achievements was the integration of climate change into the Vanuatu National Curriculum Statement (2010).
According to the Third National Communication (2020), the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department undertook climate change awareness programs for schools through information dissemination on climate science and variability. Other climate education initiatives of the Department include an animated film Cloud Nasara available in three languages which help increase knowledge among the children on the importance of forecast and weather predictions.
The Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015) under its Knowledge and Information priority, talks about incorporating lessons learned and traditional knowledge into school curricula and informal education programs, as well as adopting an integrated-curriculum approach to formal and non-formal education programs. Updates on the integration were not available at the time of the review. In contrast, the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016) targets “an inclusive, equitable and quality education system with life-long learning for all” (p. 10) and contains no focus on climate change communication and education.
Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) promised to develop advocacy and educational programs on ecosystem-based adaptation. It also intended to develop “at least one model school in each province implementing environmental-resilience programmes by 2030” (p. 16). The Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021), which mentions a thematic working group on Education, Training and Public Awareness, cites the government’s work on quality education but does not report explicitly on climate change education and communication. Similarly, the National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) do not mention any climate-related formal education strategies and initiatives.
ii. Climate change in teacher training and teaching resources
The Ministry of Education and Training developed textbooks and guides for teachers between 2014 and 2017, mostly in local languages. The main resources include classroom management guidelines and teaching strategies with a core focus on ensuring quality delivery of education and helping teachers do their job better. However, teaching resources in English and that specifically targeted climate change were not available at the time of the review.
Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region, a program of the Pacific Community, supported the Curriculum Development Unit in training primary and secondary school teachers to educate children on climate change topics of new K-13 Vanuatu curriculum, including the Vanuatu National Curriculum for Kindergarten . Further, the program conducted workshops in the provinces of Malampa, Torba, Sanma, and Tafea for principals and educators to make them familiar with the new curriculum. The workshop focused on climate change teaching resources developed under the project, including training on Learning about Climate Change the Pacific Way (2014) posters, the Cloud Nasara toolkit (2013) animation, and the Dany And Rourou: Learning To Fight Against Climate Change (2011) book. These resources served as guides for teachers and facilitators to help school children understand climate science and global and local impacts. The resources also provided users with options for mitigating the causes and to adapting to the expected changes.
Further, the Pacific Community has designed a teacher toolkit on fisheries for Vanuatu (n.d.) for primary and secondary school teachers that talks about the impact of climate change on the fisheries sector and about other related day-to-day effects on communities. The toolkit includes class exercises and activity suggestions, learning outcomes, and curriculum linkages. The guide, 23 information sheets, and 3 posters are to be used in conjunction with the information kit for fishing communities.
A seven-day training of trainers was conducted for the lecturers of the Social Science and Science Department of the Vanuatu Institute of Teacher Education and curriculum development officers of the Ministry of Education and Training in 2015. According to the report, the training focused on teaching climate change through the above-mentioned resources and included field activities and evaluation exercises. Another four-day training program was organized in 2017 to “teach teachers” about the developed resources. The participants were from Arep Bilingual School in Vanua Lava, Martin School at Hiu in Torres, and Robin School and Bagaveguey School at Toga in Torres. The objective of the training was to increase teachers’ knowledge of climate change and fishery management, as well as to develop their skills in climate science and in adaptation and sustainable fisheries to make them catalysts in building resilience and promoting food security in the education sector.
However, a 2021 academic paper argued that, although comprehensive country-specific teacher resources had been developed and distributed to all junior secondary schools and teacher-training workshops were held during 2013–2015, the deployment of the resources was stalled. The main reasons quoted included the climate-induced destruction of schools and materials by cyclones, the frequent transfer of teachers, and pressures to focus on the content of official textbooks. Hence, many Science and Social Science teachers in 2019-2020 were unaware of the resources and how to use them.
The Vanuatu Institute of Teacher Education, a national training institute that has trained more than 300 teachers to date, offers vocational education and training for teachers to become leaders. The training courses available are for Early Childhood Care, an in-service diploma in Primary Teaching, and a formal bachelor of education degree in subjects such as Language, History, and Biology. The Biology-Earth Sciences program includes Geology, Environment, and Sustainability. Other than that, no information on teacher training focused on climate change was found on the portal at the time of this review.
The national climate change and sustainability plans of the country, such as the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015), National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) do not include any initiatives related to climate change or teachers. The Third National Communication (2020) identified a gap in terms of appropriate training of teachers in environmental education; however, the Vanuatu's Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) does not mention a focused strategy for teachers. Furthermore, the Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) provided generic updates on capacity building that targeted teachers and the increase in the number of teachers, but no climate change linkages could be established.
iii. Climate change in higher education
The Ministry of Education and Training manages post-secondary education, which is a key driver in climate change communication and education; however, the national documents of Vanuatu such as Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015), National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) and Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) do not specifically include strategies for higher education.
The country provides tertiary education through universities and colleges. One example is the University of South Pacific – Emalus Campus through its School of Law, Pacific Languages Unit, distance education, and flexible learning centre.
The National University of Vanuatu’s internationally recognized bilingual master of Economics and Social Sciences program comprises courses on sustainable development, environmental law, governance and urban planning, strategies and management of sustainable development.
Vanuatu’s Third National Communication (2020) recognized a gap in the provision of “incentives to the students for choosing technical, vocational and higher education in the environment, climate change and related development studies” (p. 144). The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) stated that higher education has the potential to increase the adaptive capacity of households. The National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016) emphasizes increasing higher education opportunities, including technical and vocational training and skills, under its Quality Education goal.
iv. Climate change in training and adult learning
Training and capacity building are two of Vanuatu’s core strategies to adapt to the dangerous impacts of climate change. The Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015), Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022), the National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007), and other policy documents stress the importance of training for various stakeholders, especially the high youth population of Vanuatu.
A climate change and disaster risk reduction module (2012) was developed for the rural training centres of the Vanuatu Rural Development & Training Centers Association under the Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region program of the Pacific Community and GIZ. The module includes seven sub-modules on natural hazards and disasters, Vanuatu’s climate, causes and effects of climate change, vulnerability and impacts, mitigation and adaptation, traditional knowledge and resilience, and living with climate change. Further, a training course on the module was organized in 2015 for 28 rural training centres. Thirty-three trainers and managers from the centres attended the training program, which was conducted in the local language and covered topics like climate change risks, key adaptation measures, and the vulnerability of Vanuatu.
The Vanuatu Institute of Technology developed a first-ever post-secondary technical vocational education and training online course in 2019 on Resilience: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. The training involves 15 different modules. Apart from general climate change topics, the modules cover Identifying a Community’s Vulnerability, Traditional Knowledge in Building Resilience, and Institutional Frameworks and Policies, among others.
The University of South Pacific, GIZ, and the Pacific Community and its Community Education Training Centre developed the Community Climate Change Training Module for the training centres and for community development trainers conducting formal and informal training. The module was designed as a train-the-trainer resource to build knowledge on climate change and disaster risks through activities, including individual exercises, group work, and evaluation. Topics include climate change science, policy responses, risks, and vulnerability.
Further, a five-day training session on Monitoring and Evaluation for Climate Resilience was conducted in 2019 for 18 participants from national government agencies and non-governmental and civil-society organizations. The purpose of the training was to improve knowledge and capacity with regard to monitoring and evaluation processes as well as to establish linkages to national, regional, and global policy frameworks for climate change and disaster risk resilience. Ministry of Climate Change conducted the training, with support from USAID, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Pacific Community.
The Vanuatu Skills Partnership (2012), is an initiative supported by the Australian Government and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Training that builds capacity to protect local culture at the vocational level by integrating climate change adaptation into its training activities across sectors including tourism, agriculture, and creative industries. The Partnership focuses on cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, disability inclusion, and climate change resilience. Furthermore, the Partnership has developed a dedicated Climate Change Strategy for the Ministry of Education and Training Skills Centres (2019) to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies across sectoral training activities. Adaptation and disaster risk reduction, mitigation, and institutional capacity building form the three core strategic approaches of the Strategy. The environment and sustainability-related training are not included in the Partnership’s 2018 annual report, which mentions that the Strategy was to be implemented from 2019 onward; however, no update on the implementation of the Strategy was found at the time of this report.
In addition, the Vanuatu TVET Sector Strengthening Program trained close to 5,000 participants between 2019 and 2022. The Program’s mini-mill training promoted ecological sustainability through sustainable forestry by using local and organic food. The Program also showcased a model of environmental sustainability through tourism that sustains remote villages and strengthens Indigenous customs and crafts.
According to the Third National Communication (2020), non-government and civil-society organizations have played an active role in building capacity at the local level by conducting climate change and skills-based adaptation training. For example, a consortium of six organizations(Save the Children, CARE International, Vanuatu Red Cross Society, Vanuatu Rural Development & Training Centers Association, Pacific Community, and GIZ) implemented the Vanuatu NGO Climate Change Adaptation Program (2012-2014). The aim of the Program, funded by the Australian Government and coordinated by Oxfam, was to increase the resilience of women, men, and young people of the Republic of Vanuatu to the impacts of climate change. The activities included strengthening disaster risk reduction, water, sanitation and hygiene, natural resource management, agriculture, nutrition, traditional knowledge, women’s leadership, and education. A total of 5,400 women, men, and young people in 30 communities benefited from the Program in the provinces of Torba, Tafea, Shefa, and Penamain in terms of knowledge enhancement and capacity to address the impacts of climate change.
The Green Climate Fund funded the Vanuatu community-based climate resilience project for the period 2019-2026. The project’s core component was training community members, specifically targeting capacity building so that the community could identify climate change and disaster risks at the local level, leadership training targeted at women, and technical training on climate-resilient agriculture techniques.
The country developed a National Youth Development Policy (2012-2022) and Strategic Plan of Action (2012-2015) (2012 The Policy established linkages between personal development and sustainable development, along with the “promotion of cultural values, education, training, wealth, health, environment and Climate Change” (p. 5). The Policy obligated youth to conserve and promote the “environment against pollution and degradation including promotion of resilient communities towards effects of Climate Change” (p. 11)). Environment and Climate Change was a key priority area, and the aims were to,
“Promote programmes and projects that create awareness among the youth of the dangers of pollution and environmental degradation.
Encourage the participation of the youth in programmes that are aimed at cleaning the environment of pollutants such as polythene bags and rubbish dumps.
Encourage the participation of youths in dealing with the problem of soil erosion, through tree planting and other effective and creative methods.
Encourage the establishment of environment protection clubs by youths.
Ensure that climate change policies and planning have a focus on young people and include them in the long-term mitigating strategies.”
— National Youth Development Policy (2012-2022) and Strategic Plan of Action (2012-2015), 2012, p. 16
Further, the Third National Communication (2020) mentioned that a training and capacity building program had been designed and delivered to thematic working groups and related key stakeholders. A technical training and hand-holding workshop was organized to guide processes related to the greenhouse gases inventory, mitigation, and vulnerability assessment and adaptation. The objective was to empower the stakeholders to achieve the necessary level of expertise in data-collection, analysis, monitoring, and reporting procedures required by the UNFCCC.
Vanuatu’s policies on skill development mention environmental sustainability and social inclusion. The Post School Education and Training Policy (2016-2020) (2016) set one of its targets as “Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead” (p. 27).
The Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) described capacity building on the Integrated Monitoring, Reporting And Verification (MRV) Tool, which was
“envisaged to be achieved through design and facilitation of a technical handholding and training on the established integrated MRV framework, database and tool. This includes development of appropriate training materials, modules including hands-on exercises on the established national MRV framework, database and tool, physical/Virtual Classroom training, Technical presentations and training materials/modules as appropriate, hands-on technical training for stakeholders with relevant examples and exercises on the established national MRV framework, database, and tool, train the stakeholders in addressing issues with data such as data gaps, inconsistencies including [quality assurance/quality control].”
— Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report, 2021, p. 22
The Republic of Vanuatu Voluntary National Review (2019) highlighted the steady progress of Vanuatu in training programs focused on sustainable consumption and production, along with a focus on training in agriculture practices, technical and vocational training, and training in sustainable food production. The Review did not report on training specific to climate change.
Training is recognized as an important component of disaster management in the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015). Hence, training forms an essential component of the various actions outlined in the Policy, including monitoring and evaluation, integrating climate change and disaster risk reduction into subnational planning, budgeting processes, and disaster preparedness. The training is primarily targeted at government officers, decision-makers, and line departments, along with provincial and area council officers and civil-society stakeholders. Furthermore, in the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), one objective under its Quality Education goal is to increase opportunities for technical and vocational training and skills; however, the objective is broad and not specific to climate change.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) identified capacity building as a major issue in government departments and, to tackle this, suggested training on new climate change information and database systems. The National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) had included the target “Develop village water supply systems and watershed management, including the provision of training to village dwellers to maintain their own water systems” (p. 17).
The Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) targets training and capacity building about livestock farming, pasture management, agriculture, forestry, food, and industries for various stakeholders, including government officers, rural groups, and farming communities. Further, it mentions implementing women-led adaptation that align with the National Gender Equality Policy (2015-2019) (2015), which emphasizes that women are more susceptible to climate change. For example, the UNFCCC featured a food-security and empowerment project on women-led climate adaptation innovation in solar fruit drying. Under the initiative, more than 500 Vanuatu women were trained in solar-dryer technology and then used solar-powered food dryers to enhance their resilience to climate change. Further, in the Nationally Determined Contribution, Vanuatu committed to ensuring that climate change and disaster risk reduction projects and governance mechanisms are gender-responsive. A target “to enable youth to play active leadership roles in adapting to climate change, including to promote programmes and projects that create awareness, skills and capacities among youth on climate action” (p. 26) is also included.
i. Climate change and public awareness
Vanuatu’s National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction hosts a range of resources for raising public awareness on climate change that have been developed under national initiatives and by civil-society organizations and other stakeholders. For example, games, exercises and quizzes from the Vanuatu Red Cross Society (a civil-society organization working with communities) target young people to increase their knowledge of climate change and other cross-cutting issues.
The Vanuatu Skills Partnership of the Australian Government, supported local Wan Smolbag Theatre performances to inform locals about climate change and disaster impacts.
The Pacific Community and GIZ partnership developed a set of three climate change posters (2012) for the Pacific Island community. The posters focus on climate change impacts, plastics, and waste management. The same partnership designed a guide and 29 information sheets for fishing communities, along with 3 leaflets and 3 posters. The guide focuses on community-based fisheries management, providing technical information and advice on the resource species and linkages to climate change impacts.
Further, GIZ, in partnership with the Vanuatu Department of Tourism and Department of Energy, developed a poster on tourism and renewable energy . A national handbook on community-based disaster risk reduction is also available. Both the poster and the handbook are available in the local language; hence, they could not be further analyzed for this review.
Another method to raise climate change public awareness in Vanuatu is through text messages. For instance, a series of mobile phone text-message campaigns was used in Vanuatu under United Nations Development Programme’s Pacific Risk Resilience Programme (2015), partnering with Digicel and the Government of Vanuatu. This campaign was designed to raise people’s awareness about climate change and other disaster-related risks the country faces. The campaign consisted of an interactive two-way quiz that was distributed widely to allow people’s participation.. The quiz included simple questions that tested people’s knowledge of response to a disaster situation or to climate change risks. The campaign received a positive response with 30,000 entries during the first quiz, held in October 2014, and 122,000 entries across all provinces during the second quiz, held in January 2015 (cyclone season). Further, to complement this initiative, a Climate Zone Quiz television series (2014) was also implemented, whereby Year 11 students from all six Vanuatuan provinces competed to demonstrate their knowledge of science, impacts, and adaptation solutions related to climate change.
Several awareness campaigns led by the National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction have been conducted in the country. For example, a national awareness workshop on climate change and disaster risk reduction was conducted in September 2022 to enhance understanding of national and global climate policy among non-government stakeholders. In September 2022, a Climate Change Symposium reached out to communities and schools on the science and impacts of climate change, with a view to improving their knowledge and helping them make informed decisions about preparedness, adaptation, and mitigation in the future. A National Tree Planting Day was also celebrated in June 2017 to increase awareness among various stakeholders.
Vanuatu Christian Council, in partnership with Australia’s Act for Peace humanitarian organization, has beeninvolved in the implementation of two community-focused projects on disaster risk reduction and climate change risk reduction in the country. More details on the project could not be sourced at the time of this review.
A Pacific Islands student movement to fight climate change led a campaign to support Vanuatu’s initiative advocating for an advisory opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice. The campaign called upon young people to advocate and lobby for support in the fight against global climate change. The Youth Climate Justice handbook (2023) was also developed to support the cause.
The Third National Communication (2020) mentioned a climate change awareness project led by high school students called Action Against Climate Change. Under the initiative, high school students from two Vanuauan schools made presentations in the form of short films, radio programs, and other media productions to decision-makers about climate change and its impacts on the environment by local climate change and media mentors. The initiative brought attention to the most vulnerable populations and proposed local climate solutions, which were by the media. The students involved their friends, families, and communities and shared the message “What are we gonna do about it now?” to advocate for ambitious climate action. The National Communication further reported that public awareness and education of ecosystem-based approaches had a key role in Natural Solutions to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region, a project funded under the International Climate Initiative. The synthesis report (2018) indicated that the project had led to enhanced public awareness, education, and knowledge building about climate change.
The Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) suggested that the government support non-governmental organizations in building community readiness for and awareness of climate change financing. The Report also identified the low level of awareness among the stakeholders in Vanuatu as one of the country’s strategic issues. Out of the 112 projects analyzed, community awareness formed an integral part of 30 projects. Recognizing limited understanding of climate change amongst the stakeholders, the Republic of Vanuatu Voluntary National Review (2019) reported that awareness programs on climate change adaptation and resilience, biodiversity conservation, and environmental protection were being established.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) included “targeted public outreach measures to increase knowledge and awareness among all people of Vanuatu about the risks posed by climate change” (p. 8) as one of its objectives. It stressed the importance of the awareness of all ministries and their staff of the implications of climate change. The Strategy also looked forward to the design of a public-awareness campaign to inform the general public about existing and potential climate changes and impacts, along with practical examples of adaptation measures, stating that the campaign needed to be built around strong leaders and advocates while using existing educational channels.
The National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) served to raise awareness across all sections of society about climate-induced vulnerability and about adaptation mechanisms for food security, tourism, fisheries, and forests, in alignment with the country’s priorities. Additionally, the Vanuatu National Forest Policy (2013-2023) included a specific strategy of awareness raising for forestry stakeholders on climate adaptation and the development of educational materials with a view to integrating climate adaptation issues into forestry-sector plans and activities.
Community awareness forms a critical part of the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015). The Policy aims to improve climate change awareness among the community by “standardising technical information for use by all stakeholders” and “assessing target communities prior to the introduction of awareness activities to ensure that projects are tailored to community needs” (p. 24). The Policy states an intention to engage all the relevant stakeholders, including vulnerable communities, in the planning process for awareness-raising activities. Further, locally led development of community guides and communication tools such as mobile phones and social media is being planned to disseminate disaster risk and climate change information to remote communities. Under Knowledge and Information, the Policy committed to improve awareness tools and implement targeted campaigns. Further, in the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), an objective under its Climate and Disaster Resilience target, is to “institutionalize climate change and disaster risk governance, and build institutional capacity and awareness” (p. 14), and “increase awareness on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection issues across government and publicly” (p. 15) is an objective under Ecosystem and Biodiversity.
Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) targets youth awareness programs and projects to foster climate action. The Nationally Determined Contribution also includes a commitment to wastewater-related awareness.
ii. Climate change and public access to information
Access to climate change information is widely provided in Vanuatu, especially on the publicly accessible National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction portal, which serves as a national resources database and houses national-level comprehensive information, including climate change projects, awareness materials, and workshop details. The portal also has a news feed that provides news, tools, and activities such as workshops and guides, including a resource on how to navigate through the portafor those working for Ni-Vanuatu communities. The portal also provides a summary of all the ongoing climate change activities in the country. A project map on the website that gives a snapshot of project activities underway in the country, and an events calendar lists upcoming workshops, training, conferences, and meetings. A weekly email alert is also sent to the Advisory Board’s email list that lists weekly trips made to communities, which helps organizations collaborate and plan using the Advisory Board’s endorsement and registration process for climate change projects.
The Vanuatu Meteorology and GeoHazards Department produces numerous information materials through partnerships and coordination initiatives. The Department’s website has a section on Climate Information Services, where it hosts data related to health, agriculture, and energy. It also provides updates on general climate, El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and data services including early warnings. A webpage dedicated to Climate Education offers climate change resources under for the public is also placed under Climate Information Services. Th The National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction has reported that 73 different information products are housed on the Department’s website, including a range of brochures, posters, forecasts, displays, presentations, awareness events, DVDs, and website materials to raise awareness about meteorological, climate, and climate change topics among students, the public, and project staff. Additionally, the Vanuatu Meteorology and GeoHazards Department’s Forecast section produces a quarterly newsletter about meteorology and monthly and seasonal forecasts for its climate change staff for reaching out to farmers and communities so that they can prepare for weather conditions. Further, the Department develops agro-meteorology bulletins to link forecasts with impact on crops, fruit, and garden, and to help farmers in finding more resilient techniques. An additional quarterly newsletter on climate, climate change, geo-hazard, and disaster activities is also produced.
The Vanuatu Meteorology and GeoHazards Department and partners developed the Vanuatu Framework for Climate Services (2016). The goal was “to ensure [that] climate services for Vanuatu are of world-class standard, sustainable, are reaching all end-users, and are effectively helping people manage and adapt to climate variability and change in Vanuatu” (p. 7). The Framework recommends actions to strengthen the development, provision, understanding, and use of climate-information sources across the country, which include surveys, strategic policies, workshops, summary bulletins, early-warning systems, and communication strategies and plans. The Climate Services section identifies five priority sectors: 1) agriculture and food security, 2) health, 3) disaster risk reduction, 4) water, and 5) energy for users, including the national and provincial governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, media, the general public, and the Vanuatu Meteorology and GeoHazards Department.
OPEN VEMIS, also known as the Vanuatu Education Planning Toolbox, is a publicly accessible resource hosted by the Ministry of Education and Training that collates and displays data related to the education system in the country. For example, charts are presented on the number of teaching staff, enrolled students by age, and languages. Members of the public, students, and teachers can log in, upload their data, and gain access to information such as maps showing the location of cyclone-resistant buildings and home-schooling resources. However, climate change-related data and information were not in the public domain at the time of this review.
Under the United Nations Development Programme’s Pacific Risk Resilience Programme (2015), text messages were sent to 90,000 people during Tropical Cyclone Pam to help the affected communities and secure their food supply during recovery. Two separate pre- and post-cyclone campaigns were conducted. In the week ahead of the cyclone, over 160,000 text messages were sent as an early warning to the communities about disaster preparedness. The interactive food-security messages encouraged people to prioritize resilient crops, preserve any food they could, protect crops from damage, and take care of their livestock.
The Vanuatu Meteorology and GeoHazards Department, in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, implemented a project titled Climate Information Services for Resilient Development in Vanuatu (2018-2022), supported by the Green Climate Fund. The aim of the project was to provide timely and tailored science-based climate information and tools to the public and to organizations, with a view to reducing the impacts of climate change on lives, livelihoods, and property. The intent of the Project was to expand the use of climate-information services in five targeted sectors: tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, water management, and fisheries. The goals of the project included technical capacity building to harness and manage climate data, developing practical climate-information tools and fostering their use, and disseminating tailored climate information.
The Government’s Environmental Protection and Conservation Act (2018) referred to establishing a climate change database. Knowledge and Information is one of the key strategies of the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015). The aim is to mainstream climate change and adopt key climate change concepts through “access to information for the design of evidence-based solutions to reducing underlying risks and managing residual risk through people-centred preparedness” (p. 7). The Policy seeks to meet the needs of the stakeholders and improve communication-related interventions that empower appropriate actions within the country through information management, traditional knowledge, and knowledge sharing, among others. The actions include 1) last-mile reach of climate information, 2) participation of all stakeholders in information-management processes, 3) up-to-date project information on government portals, 4) increase in accessibility to traditional knowledge through database development, 5) new knowledge management systems to increase the accessibility of information, and 6) expanded dissemination of information on disaster risks.
The National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016) recognizes the public’s right to information and sets a target to “increase use of and access to information and communications technologies, including online government services” (p. 17). The implementation of the Plan focuses on the availability of timely and reliable information to inform planning, resourcing, and delivery of activities. Climate-related information is not explicitly covered. The National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) did not include access to information-related strategies that foster access to information.
The Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) reported that accurate climate-related data and information were not readily available in the country and required major improvements. Furthermore, the Republic of Vanuatu Voluntary National Review (2019) recognized that progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals would rely on equitable access to information for the public and mentioned targets related to access to information and communication technologies; however, the Review does not cover information specific to climate change. Further, the Third National Communication (2020) stated, “There appear to be difficulties, however, in terms of sharing information between government departments in Vanuatu[;] improvements could be looked into here” (p. 20). Lack of research data, information-management issues, and the need to mainstream information, knowledge, and technologies were a few of the gaps identified in the Communication, though research was said to be under way into the development of better climate-information systems for agriculture, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure, and water sectors.
Lastly, the Vanuatu's Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) reported that “increasing access to information and communication tools for Vanuatu citizens is transforming government services and public administration, as well as supercharging advances in the socio-economic development of the nation and its resilience to climate change” (p. 19). Recognizing that access to information has a central role in effectively helping people manage and adapt to climate variability, meteorology and climate-information services are prioritized in the Nationally Determined Contribution and highlight the commitment toward tailor-made climate information, early-warning systems, and incorporation of traditional knowledge. The country specifically committed to producing and supplying to rural authorities detailed land use capability maps and supporting information on climate risks and hazards for better land use planning.
iii. Climate change and public participation
Vanuatu has measures in place to entice the public to participate in programs related to climate change. Stakeholder consultations and public participation processes are conducted during the development of major national policies in Vanuatu. For example, during the development of the Third National Communication (2020), the Ministry of Climate Change conducted focused consultations with other relevant government departments, the public and private sectors, and local and international development partners, non-governmental organizations, and public groups. According to the Communication, the first phase of the consultations included sharing the objective, inception, and processes followed by an update on the key steps and sharing aspects of the data-collection process for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The second phase involved the presentation of the results to validate assumptions and standards used for the inventory and to obtain inputs. The Communication further mentioned that the Project Management Unit ensures that climate change activities in the country meet requirements for public and stakeholder participation.
Similarly, the planning process for the Vanuatu's Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) consisted of public participation and engagement activities with local communities and Indigenous Peoples in a gender-responsive manner. This was an inclusive and participatory process, with a series of public and in-person consultations. The stakeholders of all line ministries and departments such as the Department of Energy and the Department of Women’s Affairs, private sector companies and energy sector vendors, and development partners and non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children and Global Green Growth Institute were engaged and consulted during the revision of the country’s climate mitigation and adaptation targets, among many other actors and organizations. The Nationally Determined Contribution further states that “gender equality and the inclusion of women, youth, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups was an integral part of the NDC enhancement process” (p. 49).
The National Gender Equality Policy (2015-19) (2015) of Vanuatu called for gender responsiveness in climate change and disaster reduction strategies through promoting women’s leadership and participation, as well as gender mainstreaming, and included them in its strategic priorities. Further, the Vanuatu National Disability Inclusive Development Policy (2018-2025) (n.d.) emphasizes the rights of specially-abled persons and their inclusion during the development of disaster risk reduction and climate change programs, plans, and policies.
The Vanuatu Climate Action Network collaborates with the Government and operates on a national scale, enhancing collaboration among civil society on climate change adaptation policies and actions. The Network offers a platform for sharing insights on adaptation projects, methods, and local events to foster effective communication with government bodies like the National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction and other development partners. The Network’s core mission is to facilitate the exchange of best practices, stimulate cooperation, and streamline efforts. The Network has promoted advocacy actions and community engagement to inform policies and support the inclusion of views of vulnerable populations, especially women and disabled persons, for the development of policy positions.
In 2017, the Ministry of Climate Change, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the UN Environment Programme conducted a stakeholder consultation on the development of a Law and Climate Change Toolkit as part of the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The consultation introduced the work on the toolkit and sought input from key climate change stakeholders with the aim of supporting law reforms on climate mitigation and adaptation. Further information and a link to the toolkit were unavailable at the time of this review.
Further, under the Collaboration thematic area of the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015), the country committed to continue meaningful consultation with private-sector and civil-society actors and to strengthen consultation in planning processes. The Policy further mentioned that stakeholder and internal expert consultations were conducted during its preparation, including a consultation schedule that lists workshops in six provinces. One action under Recovery is “ensuring that recovery measures are undertaken in consultation with impacted communities, provinces, area councils and municipalities, and are inclusive of women and vulnerable groups” (p. 25).
The National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction organized policy consultations to undertake communication, stakeholder and climate-finance mapping activities and to help demonstrate the government’s leadership in addressing climate change. The aim was to increase impact and efficiency in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction interventions through stakeholder engagement. The Board also reported that consultations with every province were initiated in April 2013 to develop targeted useful climate change information materials, stating that consultations had been completed in Sanma, Malampa, and Penama, and were planned to be undertaken in Torba, Tafea, and Shefa in June.
The National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016) was developed during a three-year consultation program undertaken across the country to collate the priorities of the people of Vanuatu, the community and elected representatives, the private sector, and civil society: “the National Vision reflects the aspirations of the people expressed through extensive public consultations across the country” (p. 2). The Plan further stated that “Ni-Vanuatu called for a balance between the social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainable development, with our cultural heritage as the foundation of an inclusive society. In the consultations, we discussed our biggest development challenges and their solutions” (p. 1). Demands for better governance and public administration were prominent during the public consultations; however, no direct linkages to climate change were established.
Stakeholder and provincial consultations were also undertaken during the development process for adaptation assessments in the National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007). Provincial consultations were conducted as part of three national conferences, which were followed by visits to the six provinces to understand local vulnerabilities and the specific needs of the relevant sectors. The information generated from the national conferences and the visits was utilized to organize further consultations toward the development of Programme for Action. The consultations at the national level comprised an evaluation of potential adaptation strategies, which were later prioritized by the stakeholders from various sectors and regions. Similarly, regional workshops and consultations were organized to finalize the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) and to identify specific adaptation strategies for forestry, livestock, and agriculture. Furthermore, the Strategy highlights “targeted public outreach measures to increase knowledge and awareness among all people of Vanuatu about the risks posed by climate change, and provide guidance on how to incorporate this knowledge into their planning and decision making” (p. 8) as one of its objectives, noting that limited awareness among government representatives, educators, and trainers posed a major challenge to integrating climate change considerations at local decision-making levels.
Vanuatu's Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2021) reported that the country’s monitoring, reporting and verification tool had been developed after stakeholder consultations led by the Ministry of Climate Change. The Nationally Determined Contribution also mentioned that the National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction had adopted a similar consultative approach for the technology needs assessment. Additionally, the Republic of Vanuatu Voluntary National Review (2019) mentioned continuing to strengthen stakeholder-engagement processes, especially by involving non-state actors in implementing development programs.
The United Nations Development Programme’s Vanuatu Coastal Adaptation Project (2014-2018), which focused on building resilience through improved infrastructure, sustained livelihoods, and increased food production, developed a specific stakeholder-engagement plan that outlined specific activities to be undertaken by each stakeholder, including different national ministries, local government, community representatives, and civil-society organizations.
i. Country monitoring
Vanuatu has developed monitoring and evaluating mechanisms for climate change, primarily without a focus on communication and education. The country produces an annual Education Statistics report (2021) that captures data on the number of enrolled students in accredited courses on climate change offered by the Vanuatu Institute of Technology. The Report stated that 22 students took a certificate program in Climate Change (Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction) and 11 students studied in the Resilience (Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction) program, which has 15 modules (including risk assessment, water and food security, and communication), during the year.
The Vanuatu Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Team conducted a Barriers to Education (2018) study, bringing together Ni-Vanuatu and local Australian development practitioners to support community-based assessments, evaluations, and research for the Ministry of Education and Training. The study identified climate change risks as a significant barrier. The literature review highlighted the correlation between climate and disaster risks and the well-being of the people in terms of health, environmental sustainability, and access to education. The study report affirms that access to good quality education is a challenge post-disaster when school infrastructure has been destroyed or when school buildings are used for emergency accommodation. In the study, slow-onset disasters worsened by climate change were not specifically linked to climate shocks but were mentioned in relation to illness, water shortage, and other stresses induced by climate change.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme is a regional organization established by the Pacific Governments and charged with the protection of the environment and natural resources in the Pacific region. The Secretariat has supported Vanuatu schools with rainfall gauges to help them participate in the Vanuatu Climate and Rainfall Network as part of the initiative Climate Information Services for Resilient Development in Vanuatu (2018-2022). Ten schools received rain-gauge installations as part of the initiative and took part in gathering rainfall data.
To increase the diversity of training providers, the Climate Change Strategy for the Ministry of Education and Training Skills Centres (2019) of the Vanuatu Skills Partnership (2012) measures outcomes based on indicators such as “the number, location and type of active training providers delivering skills training and education meets the areas of demand for the productive sectors” (p. 43). Further, to calculate the efficacy of climate change training in achieving desired outcomes, the Strategy includes indicators such as,
“Number of staff who have received annual training (or refresher training) on disaster management procedures” […]
“Number of training activities evaluated for climate change applicability (using the Climate Change Applicability Self-Assessment).”
“Number of climate change-relevant training activities that included climate change content in delivery.”
— Climate Change Strategy for the Ministry of Education and Training Skills Centres, 2019, p. 44
Under the Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (2016-2030) (2015) and the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) (2016), the National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction developed a common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (2017). The Framework, which measures the progress and tracks the effectiveness of its climate change and disaster risk reduction efforts, includes the following climate change and education-related indicators:
“Institutionalize climate change and disaster risk governance, and build institutional capacity and awareness” (p. 30)
“Build trust in the education system through improved performance management systems, teacher training, and the reliable delivery of quality services” (p. 16)
“Promote and ensure strengthened resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related, natural and man-made hazards” (p. 30)
— Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, 2017
The related actions consist of training on climate change and disaster monitoring and evaluation for government agencies and utilizing monitoring outcomes to improve the planning and implementation of future initiatives. The Framework also targets improved monitoring for climate change and disaster resilience, as well as enhanced environmental monitoring, evaluation, and research with open and transparent sharing of data share among relevant agencies.
The Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) highlighted progress in the country’s development of climate resilience and related goals, especially in the areas of climate governance, change monitoring and early-warning systems; adaptive capacities; and access to climate finance. The Report provides information on indicators such as access to education but does not include climate change education indicators. In addition, the Third National Communication (2020) mentioned the implementation of a country-level monitoring, reporting, and verification framework, a first-of-its-kind tool to integrate domestic and international climate action monitoring, tracking, and reporting requirements. The indicators include monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals, vulnerability assessments, and sector-specific measures for waste, energy, and fisheries. The integrated Framwork has been customized to track, monitor, and report data on climate actions and Sustainable Development Goals with a view to supporting government agencies, development partners, and non-governmental organizations in reporting evidence-based decisions and data insights. However, climate change communication and education are not specifically monitored in the Report.
The Republic of Vanuatu First Biennal Update Report (2021) shares data on number of schools, student enrolment numbers, teachers trained, and related education system trends but does not specifically report on climate change education and communication. The Report includes modules on tracking Sustainable Development Goals and on mitigation and adaptation actions. The Report identifies a lack of support for developing educational resources and programs on climate change and mentions plans to introduce and strengthen climate change science in the formal and informal education system in Vanuatu.
Vanuatu’s Revised and Enhanced First Nationally Determined Contribution 2021-2030 (2022) includes a monitoring and evaluation plan that focuses on tracking the implementation of cross-sectoral measures and mitigation and adaptation actions. Indicators include measures related to institutional and governance related to water climate vulnerability and impacts on coastal fisheries and forest ecosystems. Climate change communication and education-related indicators are not included. The National Adaptation Programme for Action (2007) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy For Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) (2011) do not contain specific monitoring processes.
ii. MECCE Project Monitoring
The Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education (MECCE) Project examined the country’s Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan 2020-2030 (2020) and National Education Policy Statement (2010-2015) (2010) for references to ‘climate change,’ ‘sustainability,’ ‘biodiversity,’ and ‘environment.’
The Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan 2020-2030 (2020) addresses ‘climate change’ six times and does not mention the word ‘environment’ in a physical-environment context, ‘sustainability,’ or ‘biodiversity.’ The National Education Policy Statement (2010-2015) (2010) does not mention ‘climate change’; however, the ‘environment’ is mentioned twice in a physical-environment context. The document has no reference to ‘sustainability’ and ‘biodiversity.’
