21 Dec 2016

New website shows coastal risk for Vanuatu from climate change

5:43 pm on 21 December 2016

A new interactive map showing how the sea levels will rise in Vanuatu as a result of climate change can now be accessed online.

The home page of the Coastal Risk Vanuatu website. http://www.coastalrisk.com.vu/

The home page of the Coastal Risk Vanuatu website. http://www.coastalrisk.com.vu/ Photo: RNZI/ NGIS Australia website

The Vanuatu coastal risk website which was publicly launched by NGIS Australia last week hopes to raise awareness and inform decision makers about the future risk to coastal communities in Vanuatu.

NGIS principal consultant, Nathan Eaton, says already there has been a very positive response to the project in Vanuatu from the government and NGO level right down to local chiefs.

The home page of the Coastal Risk Vanuatu website. http://www.coastalrisk.com.vu/

The home page of the Coastal Risk Vanuatu website. http://www.coastalrisk.com.vu/ Photo: RNZI/ NGIS Australia website

Mr Eaton said one chief from Mele village near Port Vila was now planning to act.

"Because he had access to these maps following impacts of cyclone Pam in early 2015 he could actually move his village up the hill so it wasn't in the low lying area which is currently looking to be inundated significantly by the year 2100. So that is the type of impacts we are looking to achieve is grass [roots] level community awareness right through to government awareness for the projects they are working on," said Nathan Eaton.