Port Vila, Vanuatu, 21 August 2025 – The Ministry of Climate Change in Vanuatu, with support from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), convened its second National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Steering Committee meeting at Ramada Resort in Port Vila, bringing together government officials, climate experts, and partners to talk about the NAP Project, its challenges, and next steps.  

The meeting, held under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded Readiness and Preparatory Support project “Enhancing Adaptation Actions through the National Adaptation Plan of Vanuatu”, underscores Vanuatu’s commitment to addressing the complex and urgent challenges posed by climate change. As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, Vanuatu continues to face impacts of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and ecosystem degradation (threats that place communities, livelihoods, and infrastructure at risk).

Funded by the GCF, the NAP Project is helping Vanuatu prepare for climate change by improving how the country plans and carries out actions to protect communities. It also supports the creation of six Provincial Adaptation Plans to make sure local areas are ready for climate impacts.  During the meeting, the Steering Committee members;  

• Reviewed project progress since the first Steering Committee meeting held in April 2025. 

• Endorsed the establishment of a Technical Working Group to review and guide technical outputs of the NAP and Provincial Adaptation Plans and requested the inclusion of the Vanuatu National University as a member of this group. 

• Raised awareness on the Decision Paper adopted by the Council of Ministers, which provides high-level government support for the NAP process. 

• Handed over laptops to the National Designated Authority (NDA) to strengthen the capacity of the project team. 

The Director General of Climate Change and the Chair of the Steering Committee, Mr. David Gibson further underscored the importance of thinking beyond small-scale activities and pursuing large, scalable projects as a part of the National Adaptation Plan that can deliver significant and lasting impact for the country.  

The Director of the Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics (VBoS) Mr. Andy Calo and the one of Vanuatu Meteorology & Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) Mr. Levu Antfalo emphasized the critical need for building national capacity around data management, highlighting that developing in-house expertise to collect, analyze, and apply climate data will be key for evidence-based planning and decision-making.  

The outcomes of this Steering Committee meeting reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensuring that the NAP process not only responds to immediate adaptation needs but also lays the foundation for long-term, climate-resilient development across Vanuatu.