It is a plan that details the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery arrangements in the event of a cyclone impacting on the Republic of Vanuatu. This plan clearly states out the guidelines and information to all responding agencies on what needs to be done in coordinated planning during a cyclone in line with the National Disaster Management Act NO 31 of 2000 and the Disaster Risk Management National Action Plan 2006-2016.
Released by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), this document provides definitions in the three working languages of the Republic of Vanuatu (Bislama, English, and French) for six natural hazards: cyclones, earthquakes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, and volcanoes.
Released by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), this document provides definitions for commonly used disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster management (DM) terms.
Between May 2013 and December 2014, CARE implemented a disaster risk reduction project in Vanuatu’s TAFEA province. The Yumi Redi 2 project aimed to increase the capacity of vulnerable communities to prepare for and respond to disasters. This case study of the village of Dillons Bay (on Errromango island) illustrates the impact of this project on the community’s practices before, during and after Cyclone Pam. Striking Vanuatu on March 13th 2015, this category five cyclone was one of the worst storms ever to hit the region.
The island Republic of Vanuatu is one of the most climatologically and seismically vulnerable countries in the world. Situated in the Pacific’s ‘Ring of Fire’ and ‘cyclone belt’, it is susceptible to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and both flood and drought. With the onset of climate change, extreme weather events are increasing the number and severity of natural disasters.
As the #1 ranked country for vulnerability on the World Risk Index, the lives of men and women in Vanuatu are constantly threatened by climate change and disasters. Following the most devastating cyclone to ever hit Vanuatu – cyclone Pam in 2015 – and widespread drought as a result of a strong El Nino event throughout 2015 and most of 2016, the impacts are growing ever more severe with climate change predicted to increase the intensity and impacts of such events over time.
The impacts of climate change are increasingly becoming evident in the Pacific. Our communities need to build resilience to face more extreme weather and more regular disasters.
Vanuatu Red Cross Society is proud to have been involved in the development of the City Wide Risk Assessment Do-It-Together Toolkit for building urban community resilience. We thank the Global Disaster Preparedness Centre for selecting Vanuatu as a trial site for the coalition building climate change project.
Tropical Cyclone (TC) Pam was one of the worst
natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. The
country suffered loss and damage to an extent
that vastly overwhelmed its own capacities. A
strong El Niño, in the months following the cyclone, acted
as additional multiplier for existing development problems,
especially with regard to water and food security
in rural areas. In many ways, the cyclone and its impacts
reflect political, conceptual and operational challenges
that lie at the heart of the current debate on loss and
Pacific Tool for Resilience
PARTneR will enable Pacific government Ministries and stakeholder organisation to effectively developed and used risk-based information to support development decision making on DRR & DRM
PARTneR will tailor RiskScape, a disaster impact mapping and modelling software developed jointly with New Zealand NIWA and GNS science.
On behalf of the Vanuatu Government, I wish to thank all participants who attended the Ambae Volcano Evacuation and Repatriation Review Workshop and all the agencies, cluster partners, communities, individuals and the provincial governments (Sanma and Penama) who supported the relief efforts during this event.
I also acknowledge United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for their generous assistance in funding this very important workshop and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) as the lead facilitator.