Climate Change Resilience
The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) under the Ministry of Climate Change and Natural Disasters launched its Strategic Development Plan for 2014 to 2023 on 7 February.

The Development Plan sets out the strategic context and direction for strengthening the capacity of the VMGD to deliver its core quality services.

The objective of the 10-year plan is to provide VMGD with a framework for developing each of its five divisions – Weather Forecasting and Services, Climate, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Geo-hazards and Observations – through capacity building. The plan will help ensure that support is coordinated and delivered effectively in partnership with the national government, regional and international agencies, development partners and technical counterpart agencies in Vanuatu.

looking north from Siviri Vanuatu - photo carlo iacovino - 640x480

This plan focuses on seven key areas for priority actions, namely - to improve weather services, in particular for aviation, marine and the public; to improve climate services in areas of seasonal forecasting and advisory services on El Nino and Southern Oscillation events; to strengthen outreach and communication on weather and climate; and to enhance capacity to undertake research and development.

There are three main parts. Part 1 sets out the overall strategic direction and national and regional context and provides the identified strategic drivers and goals of the VMGD set of operations. Part 2 sets out the strategic visions of the individual divisions and their goals and objectives. Part 3 sets out the Department's strategic goals and objectives to be implemented by the different divisions.

The Vanuatu Meteorological and Geo-Hazards Department Strategic Development Plan 2014 - 2023 shows a clear linkage with the Millennium Development Goals, the national Priorities and Action Agenda (PAA) Plan, and the government's 100 Days Plan.

The current plan builds on the Department's strategic development plan for 2000 – 2009, through which the Department has achieved many of its goals for developing quality services and products. The most visible achievement has been the construction of the new headquarters, fully funded by the national government. The headquarters also currently houses the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), which allows for close coordination with the Department's relevant Divisions during natural disasters.

It is the desire of the Department's Director and senior staff that VMGD continues to build on the achievements of the past years and discover and create new opportunities that are afforded by the current institutional and development context of Vanuatu for the continued growth of the Department as an expert technical institution in the country.

The overall goal of the development plan is to provide timely scientific and technical information to enable Vanuatu to build a sustainable environment and help build Vanuatu's economy.

The creation of the new Strategic Development Plan 2014 – 2023 was made possible with funding from the World Meteorological Organization.

VMGD is now under the newly created Ministry of Climate Change, which includes Climate Change, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management. The Department itself has grown immensely, with the amalgamation of the Geo-Hazards Division and the creation of the Project Management Unit/Climate Change.

For more information on the services and products of VMGD please contact the Human Resource and Training Officer William Bae Worwor at [email protected] or Henry Taiki at [email protected]