Climate Change Resilience
By Ms. Heather Maraki of Capitol 107 FM, Vanuatu
24 July, 2015, Nuku’alofa, Tonga - Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister today called on development partners to continue to support the multi hazard early warning systems set up nationally, and around the Pacific region.
Commenting on the Multi-Hazards Early Warning System, Minister Thomas Laken highlighted the progress made in Vanuatu in the past three years.
Minister Thomas Laken of Vanuatu
"We have set up the Ministry of Climate Change in Vanuatu in the last three years which has enabled the country to build sound policy and national plans to tackle challenges imposed by Climate Change and Natural Disasters on its economy and its people.
However Minister Laken said support towards regional efforts is needed to address gaps, so that timely warnings are issued, and infrastructure, properties and lives are saved.
“We have also amalgamated the Geo-Hazards Division with the Meteorology Department, resulting in the formation of the newly named ‘Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department’.
This has allowed Vanuatu to establish a multi-hazard early warning centre that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, giving messages and warnings for all natural hazards occurring within Vanuatu, be it a tropical cyclone warning, a tsunami advisory or a volcanic eruption message, said Minister Laken.
He said despite the early warnings issued for Tropical Cyclone Pam that hit Vanuatu in March this year, there was widespread devastation, especially in the central and southern parts of the country and 11 lives were lost.
Vanuatu’s Director for Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department David Gibson says he is happy that Vanuatu Met Services has developed within the past few years.
"Vanuatu has also helped in providing technical support to some southwest pacific countries in strengthening their early warning system, specifically on earthquake and volcano monitoring, said Gibson.
Minister Laken is among regional Meteorology Ministers meeting for the first time in Nuku'alofa, Tonga today. -#PacMC2015
Ms. Heather Maraki is a reporter with Capital 107FM in Vanuatu http://www.vanuatufm107.com
This article was developed by a Pacific Media Team of Reporters currently providing coverage on the First Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology in Tonga. This activity coordinated by SPREP is supported by a partnership including the Government of Tonga, SPREP, Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS).