Vanuatu convenes fourth steering committee meeting
Participants during the fourth National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting for the MACBLUE project in Vanuatu
25 April 2025, Port Vila – The fourth National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting for the Management and Conservation of Blue Carbon and Coastal Ecosystems project in Vanuatu convened today, bringing together officials from relevant government agencies and representatives of the MACBLUE project.
The meeting was officially opened by Director Ms Grace Naparau from the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC), who welcomed participants and emphasised the importance of continued collaboration for sustainable outcomes.
Participants included representatives from DEPC, the Ministry of Forestry, the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans, and Maritime Affairs, the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, and Biosecurity, and the Department of Lands and Survey under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. The project’s implementing partners, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Community (SPC), were also in attendance, alongside technical consultants supporting different project outputs.
Key highlights from the meeting included updates on community-led coastal management efforts, national carbon stock assessments, and the integration of ecosystem service data into policy processes. This included progress updates on ongoing community-based coastal ecosystem management efforts in Siviri and Paonangisu on Efate, initial findings from blue carbon stock assessments conducted over the past months in key regions including Santo, Malo, Efate, and Malekula, and an update on the ongoing ecosystem services evaluation and how these findings could support key policy processes such as the Environmental Impact Assessment.
MACBLUE Project Director Mr Raphael Linzatti shared that a core goal of the MACBLUE project is to support countries in generating data to influence national plans and policies.
“We’re entering a new phase where science and policy come together. Workshops planned for 2025, including mapping and data utilisation, will help translate research into real tools for conservation, planning, and climate reporting,” Mr Linzatti shared.
“Our role is to support Vanuatu in integrating these insights into broader local, regional, and international frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and Paris Agreement, while ensuring communities continue to be at the heart of blue carbon ecosystem protection.”
MACBLUE National Coordinator Mr Moses Amos shared that the fourth NSC meeting is a clear demonstration of Vanuatu’s growing leadership in blue carbon conservation.
“Our strength lies in the partnership between government, communities, and scientific research. The progress shared today, from carbon stock assessments to ecosystem valuation, is not just data. It’s a roadmap for how we can protect our coastal ecosystems while empowering communities and aligning with national environmental commitments,” Mr Amos shared.
The meeting also reviewed upcoming project activities and timelines for the year. Plans include a workshop on seagrass and mangrove mapping and data utilisation in collaboration with SPC, as well as next steps in drafting the Blue Carbon Ecosystems Policy. Discussions also focused on how the project’s goals could be integrated into national frameworks, including the upcoming update of Vanuatu’s Nationally Determined Contributions.