#VMGD

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).

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.

18 August 2023 - Port Vila, Vanuatu. OSCAR – the ‘tailOred System of Climate services for AgRiculture’ developed by the APEC Climate Centre (APCC) as part of the Vanuatu Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Planning Project (VanKIRAP) was handed over to the Vanuatu Government at an official ceremony held in Port Vila last week.

16 August 2023, Nadi Fiji – A new tailor-made tool which gives the people of Vanuatu the ability to make informed decisions to improve crop resilience based on what is happening in the local climate has been launched by the Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong Redi, Adapt mo Protekt, (VanKIRAP) project on the margins of the Sixth Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting (PMC-6) in Denarau, Fiji.

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.