350 Vanuatu

350 Vanuatu 

350 Vanuatu 

350.org is a global climate movement a nd 350 mean safety from the climate crisis.

350 Pacific is a youth led grassroots network working with communities to fight climate change from the Pacific Islands. 350 Pacific works with organizers across 15 Pacific Island nations to highlight the vulnerabilities of our island countries to climate change while showcasing our strength and resilience as a people. We work through existing networks and with a range of partner organisations who share in our vision for the Pacific and the planet. 

Vanuatu as part of the other Pacific Island is also Vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change but has rich diverse culture within it's communities. 350 Vanuatu is seeking to implement the 350 Pacific strategy with a mission to empower and educate action-focused Pacific Island young people to lead creative actions to:

·         Make their villages and towns more resilient to a changing climate.

·         Join the global movement that is pressuring big polluters and the fossil fuel industry and get the world back on track to 350ppm.

·         Build stronger, more connected fossil free communities across the Pacific; not just within the Pacific Islands, but across the world.

350 Vanuatu Warrior

The Vanuatu Phase 2 events proposed here include both mobilizations and summits and are directly linked to our campaign strategies and are critical movement moments. This proposal gives Vanuatu 350 the opportunity to grow the community of engaged climate activists, empowering new leaders with skills and strategic plans, and mobilizing young leaders. Importantly, the proposed plan submitted here is not a series of isolated events.  Rather they are a chance to build on or launch large-scale climate campaigns and empower people to lead local action groups that can contribute to escalating action and supporting Vanuatu’s nation and the Pacific’s regional climate strategies.

Our National and Regional Key Priorities over the coming three years will use the Warrior theme across our initiatives, and also continue with the campaign name of “100% Possible to be Heard”.  350 Vanuatu’s top priorities are:

1.       Embolden Pacific Island leaders and government leadership and interventions on the international stage on climate change

2.       Take direct action to challenge the Fossil Fuel Industry

3.       Build and display cultural strength of the Pacific Islands

4.       Empower young people to build local resilience to climate change impacts

5.       Tell and share stories from both the frontlines of climate change impacts and the movement response

                                

Teouma Farmers Association Trained In Food Preservation To Adapt To Climate Change

Friday 7th of February 2014, SPC-GIZ Vanuatu
This week, the Teouma Farmers Association on the island of Efate, Vanuatu, received their first ever training in solar food drying and preservation for adaptation to climate change.
Rural communities are coming under pressure as climate change impacts on agricultural productivity are becoming more evident –rainfall, cyclones and heat, shifting weather patterns, and soil degradation are becoming serious hazards to local food security.  The Teouma Farmers Association has over 100 members all of whom contribute to the supply of local products to Port Vila’s main market and to area hotels and resorts. Much of the local foods consumed in Port Vila derive from Teouma, and sadly climate change is severely affecting production there.

Women Farmers with their new preserve food for food security

The SPC-GIZ Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region programme has, in partnership with local government agencies and NGOs, been implementing a food preservation training courses for the past two years. With the help of island-based expert Ni-Vanuatu trainers, the people of Teouma got the chance to construct a sustainable solar food dryer, and learned to produce a variety of fruit, nut and vegetable products.
The solar food dryer is a simple and inexpensive wooden construct using two small solar panels and two fans in the inside of the dryer.  The dryer works as the fans push hot dry air evenly over the local foods. The dryer can operate even in the cloudy weather conditions common in Vanuatu.
Teouma Community members were educated about climate change and its consequences on food security. Subsequently they were trained not only in the preparation of foods for drying, but also of a range of other preserved products, such as jams, juices and chips. Finally they packaged their products and learned how to appropriately price and market them. They were made aware of the advantage of preserved food not only in terms of a secure food supply, but also increased income possibilities.
This first-ever food preservation training was gratefully received by the Teouma community at large.   “It is greatly useful to be able to store food for times of need. That way we will also save on travel expenses, as we do not have to rush to sell fresh food in the market”, says Pierre Tapisop, Chief of a neighbouring community. “This opens new possibilities to us, as with the option to preserve food, we will have much less waste than in the past”, agrees Charlie Willie, chairman of the Teouma Farming Association.
In response to the question as to how they will invest income from their dried agricultural products, all answered in unison: “school fees”!

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Internship with SPC-GIZ Climate Change Adaptation Programmed

SPC-GIZ Climate Change Vanuatu Team

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are hit hard by climate change due to the high vulnerability and
insufficient adaptation abilities. The predicted sea-level rise, changes in precipitation patterns and rising temperatures will have negative effects on these countries. Coastal erosion, salt water intrusion, changes to cyclone, and changing ecosystems place a heavy burden on the sustainable development of the PICs.
The ‘Coping with climate change in the Pacific Island Region (CCCPIR)’ programme aims to strengthen the capacities of Pacific member countries and regional organisations to cope with the impacts of climate change. The programme is funded by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through GIZ working in partnership with SPC and SPREP.

The programme commenced its activities in

2009 working with Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.
As of 2011 it has been expanded to another
nine Pacific Island Countries and the
duration has been extended until 2015.
At the regional level, the project aligns with
the Pacific Island Framework for Action on
Climate Change 2006-2015 (PIFACC)

In Vanuatu, the CCCPIR programme has enabled mainstreaming at the national level including an
amendment of the Environmental Management & Conservation Act and its associated Regulations. In addition the programme supported climate integration in the new National Curriculum Statement. A draft National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is nearing completion and national endorsement after months of stakeholder consultations and expert technical inputs throughout the country and across sectors. CCCPIR is currently involved in the mainstreaming of an amendment to the Foreshore Development Act.

 At the sectoral level, CCCPIR has completed a revision and mainstreaming of the National Forest

Policy, and is working with the National Provident Fund to mainstream a new Livestock Investment
Scheme. Recently CCCPIR has initiated a programme to mainstream climate change considerations into land use planning including the development of a draft National Land Use Planning Policy, and revising the Land Lease Issuance Process to include CCA & DRR considerations. CCCPIR hasAt the sectoral level, CCCPIR has completed a revision and mainstreaming of the National Forest Policy, and is working with the National Provident Fund to mainstream a new Livestock Investment Scheme. Recently CCCPIR has initiated a programme to mainstream climate change considerations into land use planning including the development of a draft National Land Use Planning Policy, and revising the Land Lease Issuance Process to include CCA & DRR considerations. CCCPIR has also
developed a draft National Climate Change Communication Strategy. Recently the Vanuatu
programme has joined forces with the Vanuatu Meteorology Services to develop Seasonal Climate
Forecasts with adaptation advice to farmers.

The Vanuatu CCCPIR programme has begun the design of a national climate change information database which will enable the collection and dissemination of climate change reports, project proposals, V&A assessments and stakeholder contacts.
Informed members and skilled trainers of the different sectors of the society are the basis for a sustainable change. Specific activities in Vanuatu have included the training of departmental directors and DGs, training of journalists, GIS trainings for land sector officials, training for agriculture extension officers, training of lecturers and teachers, and practical training on CC adaptation with communities. The programme has developed Vanuatu’s first Bislama-language DVD on Climate Change in Vanuatu, disseminated to over 30 islands and over 100 communities in Vanuatu