Page 22 - IBs November 2022

Water

VANUATU GETS GFC BOOST

By Samantha Magick on WASH is $50 per capita (1.27% of GDP), in Vanuatu it is just
$8 per capita (or 0.26% of GDP). Over 90% of Vanuatu’s WASH
Water security in Vanuatu is to be improved under a US$23 activities are funded by external agencies.
million project under the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The new ‘Enhancing Adaptation and Community Resilience
The project to climate-proof water sanitation and hygiene by Improving Water Security in Vanuatu’ project, which was
infrastructure, and improve water management planning developed with support from the Pacific Community (SPC) and
systems, will benefit more than 215,000 people according to UNICEF, will ensure infrastructure is built to withstand the
the GCF. predicted impacts of climate and disaster-related events.
Access to water security and sanitation services in the It will focus on empowering rural communities to plan and
Pacific are rated lower than many other parts of the world. manage their water resources, improving rural water infra-
Climate change and disasters exacerbate the risks communi- structure and strengthening governance to address climate
ties face in getting clean water and sanitation, risks at provincial and national institutions.
While a UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Program put over 40% “The Vanuatu Water Security project is the second large-
of Vanuatu’s water supply in the ‘safely managed’ category, scale Green Climate Fund project to be approved by the
approximately 65% of the country’s sanitation services are board of GCF in 2022; the first one being the 3.3 billion vatu
rated as ‘limited’ or ‘unimproved’. worth Vanuatu Community-based Climate Resilience Project
Furthermore, Vanuatu is rated as one of the most vulner- (VCCRP) approved in August 2022,” explained Esline Ga-
able countries to disaster under the World Risk Index 2021. raebiti, Director-General of the Ministry of Climate Change
Although 91% of household have access to basic drinking wa- Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy
ter, levels of bacterial contamination at the source are over and Disaster Management and Vanuatu’s National Designated
50%, according to UNICEF and WHO. Flying debris launched Authority to GCF.
by severe tropical cyclones such as TC Pam, can break tanks, SPC Director-General Dr Stuart Minchin added that scaling
tap stands and pipelines. Smaller cyclones have ruined water access to large-scale climate finance opportunity is an impor-
systems by damaging hanging pipes over waterways and road tant part of their work.
crossings, the organisations say, while flooding can cause land- “Unlocking climate finance is a cornerstone of SPC’s work
slides, altering spring source locations, breaking pipelines and to promote livelihoods, build resilience, and enhance disaster
contaminating unprotected springs and wells. risk reduction in Pacific communities. We are thankful for this
The resulting impact on communities includes health prob- second project to be approved by the GCF in the past twelve
lems such as diarrhoea, stunting and other illnesses. In the months. However, we must rapidly increase access to cli-
longer term, food insecurity and poor health can negatively mate finance for Pacific countries to ensure the region is best
affect school attendance and economic opportunities. placed to face the brunt of climate change and the realities
Resources to address these problems are scarce in Vanuatu. already being felt on the ground.
A WHO survey found while the average national expenditure
BUT OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDS STRUGGLE TO ACCESS FUND

Tuvalu took two years to access AU$36 million from the With a population of 100,000 and a very small public
Green Climate Fund. service, Tuvalu faces one of the greatest needs for climate
That money has been put to use in three coastal protec- change assistance.
tion projects on separate atolls, but transformation has The key, Latasi said, was cooperation between govern-
been slow. ment, the private sector and civil society.
Perpetua Latasi - Director Climate Change and Disaster “Accessibility (to the funding) is still a challenge to many,
Department - is grateful for the money available for loss many (Pacific) countries. For Tuvalu it is the same,” Latasi
and damage which is pushed out through the Green Climate said.
Fund. “It may be difficult to see transformation taking place in
But when countries are sinking rapidly, there is an un- the Pacific and I think it comes down to engagement with
derstandable urgency in the Pacific to access money which the community.”
could make a difference between life and death. She said governments were often the focal point in many
In some cases, money pledged by countries at COP countries for communities to access the Green Climate
meetings has taken years to reach the fund from the donor Fund.
countries. But more often, the delays have been due to the “When the money comes in, it is important for the gov-
lack of capability within Pacific Island countries to access ernment to engage with the communities to implement the
the money. projects. If there is a good connection between government
“It is not an easy matter,” Latasi said. and CSOs, they will be able to work together to implement
“There are resources available out there for different projects to make sure transformations are being undertaken
levels which government can access, and civil society can and delivered for people to build resilience in their commu-
access. nities.”
“In the Pacific, [that’s] something that is lacking, and the - Netani Rika
private sector does not have the capacity or capability to
access the resources they need.’’ editor@islandsbusiness.com

22 Islands Business, November 2022