Community Disaster Committees Strengthen Climate Resilience in Vanuatu

Challenge

Vanuatu, ranked highest globally for disaster risk, faces severe climate threats including cyclones and rising sea levels.

Solution

Community Disaster and Climate Change Committees, targeted training, and tailored information dissemination are empowering local resilience.

Overview

Vanuatu, an archipelago nation in the South Pacific comprising 82 volcanic islands, faces some of the world’s highest risks from climate-induced disasters. Many islands are just above sea level, making the country exceptionally vulnerable to tropical cyclones, rising sea levels, and the impacts of El Niño and La Niña. The 2021 World Risk Report ranked Vanuatu as the country with the highest disaster risk globally. Tropical Cyclone Pam in 2015, which affected 188,000 people, underscored the critical need for robust disaster preparedness and climate adaptation strategies (CRED, 2021).

Vanuatu has responded by becoming a leading example of how climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) can be integrated into national and community-level efforts, with particular focus on empowering local communities to build resilience (Hallwright & Handmer, 2021).

Community-driven disaster management

Vanuatu’s approach involves a strong focus on community involvement. Recognizing that the people most affected by climate-induced disasters are those at the local level, the government, in collaboration with NGOs and international agencies, has prioritized supporting communities in building resilience. This approach includes establishing structures for community-led disaster management, providing targeted training, and ensuring that vital information about risks and preparedness is accessible to all (McCommon et al., 2021). These efforts empower communities to take ownership of their safety, ensuring they are active participants in building a more resilient future.

Community Disaster and Climate Change Committees

The “Beyond Barriers: Vanuatu Case Study” project report highlights a central element of Vanuatu’s strategy – the establishment of Community Disaster and Climate Change Committees (CDCCCs). These committees are at the heart of community-level disaster preparedness and climate adaptation efforts. Comprising local volunteers, CDCCCs conduct vulnerability assessments, develop community action plans, and coordinate responses during disasters, bridging the gap between national policies and local action.

The report reveals that CDCCCs enable communities to take proactive measures in disaster management, with disaster response strategies tailored to each community’s specific needs. However, CDCCCs’ effectiveness is often hampered by limited resources and the voluntary nature of their work. Sustainability is a major challenge, as the committees rely heavily on external funding and support.

Training and information dissemination

The report notes that the Vanuatu government, with support from NGOs and international agencies, has placed strong emphasis on providing communities with training and information to strengthen their resilience. Training programs are designed to be inclusive, targeting specific groups, such as women, youth, and people with disabilities. For instance, women are trained in managing food and water supplies during disasters, while youth are taught skills in building resilient infrastructure.

Information dissemination ensures that all community members have access to clear, actionable information about climate risks and disaster preparedness (Zebeta et al., 2022). This has been achieved through posters, booklets, and role-play activities. Traditional knowledge is also leveraged, ensuring that information resonates with community members. In using local languages and integrating traditional practices, information becomes accessible and culturally appropriate (Zebeta et al., 2022).

Challenges and opportunities

Despite progress, the report points out that challenges remain. The sustainability of CDCCCs is a main concern, given their reliance on volunteers and external funding (Zebeta et al., 2022). Another challenge is the consistency of information delivery, as gaps remain in ensuring all community members receive consistent messages, which can cause confusion during disasters (Zebeta et al., 2022). Better two-way communication between communities and government is also needed, as community feedback and traditional knowledge are not always integrated into national policies (Zebeta et al., 2022).

Despite these challenges, there are opportunities to further strengthen resilience. Vanuatu can invest in CDCCCs and improve communication channels to increase the effectiveness of its community-driven efforts (Zebeta et al., 2022). In addressing these challenges, the country can strengthen its resilience and serve as a model for other nations facing similar climate threats.

Acknowledgements

This report draws from the “Beyond Barriers: Vanuatu Case Study” project report by the Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG), supported by World Vision Australia through the AHP Disaster READY and Partnership and Performance Funds. Acknowledgement is given to the original authors. Reported by IGES, edited and updated by AP-PLAT.

Related Information

• Project Page – HAG
  (https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/insight/beyond-barriers-vanuatu-case-study/)

• Zebeta, F., Butu, T., Ayessha, M., Vaike, L., McCommon, J., Lees, J., & Majeed, S. (2022). Beyond Barriers: Vanuatu Case Study (Eleanor Davey & Campbell Aitken, Eds.). https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/HAG-WV_Beyond-Barriers_Vanuatu_Final.pdf

• Climate Risk Country Profile: Vanuatu (2021): The World Bank Group. https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/country-profiles/15825-WB_Vanuatu%20Country%20Profile-WEB.pdf

• CRED. 2021 Disasters in numbers. Brussels: CRED; 2022. https://www.cred.be/sites/default/files/2021_EMDAT_report.pdf

• Hallwright, J., & Handmer, J. (2021). Progressing the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk management in Vanuatu and beyond. Climate Risk Management, 31, 100269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2020.100269

• McCommon, J., Lees, J., Hoebreck, C., Vaike, L., & World Vision Australia. (2021). Beyond Barriers: Integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Pacific. In C. Aitken (Ed.), Beyond Barriers: Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific (pp. 2–30) [Report]. https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WV-Beyond-Barriers_LR.pdf