The environment of Vanuatu including its land based resources are extremely vulnerable to climate-related hazards, such as cyclones strong wind gusts, droughts, heats spells, floods and sea level rise/storm surges. Most of these hazards are precipitated by natural weather phenomena and therefore will be exacerbated by the current and future impacts of climate change. This vulnerability is a threat not only to the livelihoods of the people of Vanuatu but also to a healthy and prosperous nation.
The Pacific island region is highly prone to natural disasters,
especially cyclones, droughts and volcanic eruptions. These
impose a heavy economic toll, diverting resources away from
all forms of development. In a region so dependent on
agriculture as the Pacific Islands, reducing exposure to and
mitigating against the effects of natural disasters offers
immediate and substantial benefits to the sustainable
development of the region.
This report provides a detailed account of the interrelationships
between disasters and agricultural systems in
Climate Change in the Pacific is a rigorously researched, peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the climate of the western Pacific region. Building on the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this two volume publication represents a comprehensive resource on the climate of the Pacific.