The Government of Vanuatu recognises that effective institutions and the inter-relationships between them are at the heart of its ability to respond to growing climate and disaster risks. To this end, a comprehensive analysis of climate and disaster risk governance is undertaken.

Building on Vanuatu’s progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 7 (MDG7) target to reduce the number of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015, and progressive national planning towards the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6), the Vanuatu National Sustainable Development Plan 2016 (NSDP) includes a policy objective (ECO2.2) “Ensure all people have reliable access to safe drinking water and sanitation infrastructure.”

National Water Policy Priorities
The Vanuatu National Water Policy (2017-2030) seeks to deliver the policy objectives established by the National Sustainable Development Plan (2016-2030) at:
- ECO 2.2 to ensure safe water services for all
- ENV 4.2 to protect community water sources
- ENV 4.7 to build community natural resource management capacity
- SOC 3.2 to reduce communicable diseases
- SOC 6.5 to strengthen local authorities to enable decentralised service delivery
- SOC 6.6 to strengthen physical planning to meets the need of a growing population