#ClimateInformationservices

30 October 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu: Staff of the Climate Information Services for Resilient Development in Vanuatu Project (known locally by its Bislama acronym, VanKIRAP) wish to convey their sympathies to all those impacted by Category 5 Severe Tropical Cyclone Lola.

04 October 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu - Rain or shine, weather data is collected daily all over Vanuatu by a network of weather observers from Vanuatu’s national meteorological service, the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD).

29 September 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu – A significant expansion of the climate information dissemination network in Vanuatu is being celebrated with the newly inaugurated Community Climate Centres launched in Lakatoro, Malekula, and Saratamata, Ambae.

13 September 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu - A significant step in the right direction for the Vanuatu’s transport sector was taken last week with the official handover of the new Vanuatu Road Design Guide from the Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Planning in Vanuatu (VanKIRAP) Project to the Vanuatu Public Works Department (PWD).

Vanuatu's meteorologists and climatologists are responsible for keeping the country forewarned about weather and climate events that might impact lives and livelihoods. But they need good quality weather data to do this—and this data needs a strong house to protect it so that it can be used to make reliable and useful predictions about Vanuatu’s future climate.

12 September 2023, Port Vila – The importance of understanding the role of the media in helping to build resilience in Vanuatu was emphasised during the start of a two-day communications training workshop for staff of the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD). 

Most of the time, the Sarakata River in Espiritu Santo is a serene and beautiful waterway. After heavy rainfall, however, it becomes a raging torrent, flooding adjacent populated areas. Although such floods are a natural phenomenon, human-induced climate change is making the rainfall events that cause this flooding more extreme. This is resulting in more severe flooding in the Sarakata River catchment and is leaving adjacent communities more vulnerable in terms of their physical safety, economic stability, and overall development.

The Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong Redy, Adapt mo Protekt (Van-KIRAP) project supported the Climate Division of the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department carried out the rescue of thousands of historical records as well as a major cleaning up of the archive room, removing dust and brightening up the National Climate Archives.

VMGD is the custodian of Vanuatu's meteorological data that dates back to the 1950's and longest complete records in the Pacific region. 

Better resilience outcomes for 60% of Vanuatu’s population is a result of enhanced climate information and technology infrastructure.

The enhanced Vanuatu Climate update (VCU), Monthly Climate Summary and the Early Alert Rainfall Watch are tailored climate products that are circulated every month by the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) to targeted development sectors: tourism; agriculture; infrastructure; water and fisheries.