27 February 2025 – Port Vila, Vanuatu - Policymakers, sectoral leaders, and community advocates in Vanuatu have been empowered with critical skills to integrate Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)principles into climate resilience efforts across the nation’s key economic sectors.

It follows a three-day GEDSI Train-the-Trainer Workshop organised and facilitated by the Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Planning in Vanuatu (Van-KIRAP) project, in collaboration with the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Hosted at the VMGD Conference Room, the workshop focused on building the capacity to conduct GEDSI analysis within Vanuatu’s climate adaptation strategies.

Representatives from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Climate Change (DoCC), VMGD, University Students from the Vanuatu Institute of Technology (VIT) and the Vanuatu Climate Adaptation Project (VCAP-2) explored the intersections of human rights, equity, and climate action, with a focus on five priority sectors: tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, water, and fisheries.

“The goal is to ensure climate information services reach all communities, especially marginalised groups, to build truly inclusive resilience,” said Mrs Moirah Matou, Van-KIRAP’s Project Manager VMGD.

Vanuatu, ranked among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, faces intensifying cyclones, sea-level rise, and shifting rainfall patterns. By embedding GEDSI into climate planning, Van-KIRAP aims to ensure no one is left behind in accessing vital weather data, disaster alerts, and adaptation resources.

“This training isn’t just about analysis—it’s about transforming how we empower communities,” said Mr Sunny Seuseu, SPREP’s Van-KIRAP Project Manager. “When we address inequality, we build resilience that lasts.”

The workshop marks a critical step in Vanuatu’s journey toward equitable climate resilience, aligning with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and regional Pacific priorities.

The train-the-trainer workshop was facilitated by Ms Kim Robertson, SPREP’s Gender Adviser.  “I packed so much into three days – it was like a cyclone,” she said. “As a facilitator it’s ‘the best’ when you have a group wanting to learn new ways of doing things with a genuine interest in helping people. I am confident that the group focus on the ‘so what’ of climate information services will impact in VMGD ways of working beyond Van-KIRAP.”

The first day emphasised the link between GEDSI and Human Rights and climate change, beginning with an overview of Van-KIRAP’s 2025 priorities and SPREP’s role in supporting GEDSI outcomes. Interactive sessions introduced core concepts, such as why inclusive approaches are vital for equitable climate adaptation. Attendees later engaged in group activities analyzing gender dimensions of climate impacts and cross-sectoral challenges.

On the second day, the workshop shifted to methodologies for GEDSI and human rights analysis. SPREP experts guided participants through the steps starting with data and statistics from Censuses and Surveys to provide the demographic and socio-economic profile as well as household characteristics at Area Council level.

The final day focused on hands-on exercises, including designing research questions, organizsng data, and communicating findings. The practical exercise focused on designing a quantitative survey or data collection at community level, based on the Van-KIRAP’s 2023 Audience Survey as another tool in the community researchers ‘tool box’. 

A cross cutting theme underscored the importance of localised data in addressing barriers faced by women, persons with disabilities, and people in vulnerable situations who might face barriers in accessing and using climate information. A key discussion centered on “data sovereignty”—ensuring communities retain ownership of shared information—and strategies for ethically reporting results back to respondents.

The workshop concluded with a pledge from Van-KIRAP to prioritise GEDSI in its 2025 communty initiatives.Participants left with strengthened skills to conduct inclusive community engagements and tailor climate services to diverse needs.

SPREP will be providing support through 2025 for people-centred climate information services through Van-KIRAP.

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The Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong Redy, Adapt mo Protekt (Van-KIRAP) project is a five-year, USD 22 million project which aims to support climate resilient development in Vanuatu through the development, communication, and application of climate information services to benefit agriculture, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure, water sectors and communities.

It is funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme in partnership with the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and APEC Climate Center.

For more information, please contact Mr Sunny Kamuta Seuseu, at [email protected]