The devastating impacts of climate change are already being felt around the globe, threatening sustainable development and resilience, impairing socioeconomic development and reinforcing cycles of poverty. Scientists are increasingly able to confidently attribute the increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events – such as droughts, heatwaves, floods and cyclones – to human-induced climate change. 

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