Communities in Vanuatu are getting even more involved in the planning and finalisation of their Conservation Areas, with community members increasingly reporting the impact they expect the newly formalised protection to have.

Having already done considerable consultations, mapping, planning and biodiversity assessment work on each of the three CCAs – in Sunae, Akhamb and Vunausi – these initiatives are approaching their final stages.

Akhamb will have their CCA registered and launched by July, with Sunae’s marine CCA following in September and Vunausi in November. As these CCAs will be overseen by the communities themselves, much of these recent consultations concern management plans and resource usage.

Leisavi Joel, chairlady of the CRI committee, said that being able to protect the resources within their marine CCA, while still being able to earn income, was a key part of its appeal to the community.

‘Our marine area is a very significant initiative because while our population started to increase, marine resources started to become scarce,’ she said. Their CCA discussions have helped establish regulations around the harvesting of marine resources as well as a management committee to uphold them.

‘As a result of conserving marine resources, tourism activity also blends in and provides income to villagers…I hope to see more tourism activities once the conservation area is registered.’

With Sunae also working on a pathway to establish an ecotourism initiative, the community believes this work will have a positive effect on both ecosystems and livelihoods, as a regenerating marine environment will encourage more tourism, helping uphold the conservation area.

There are similar attitudes in Akhamb, where all tribes, villages and schools have come together in support of their CCA, believing it will maintain their ecosystems into the future.

‘This will have a positive impact on our terrestrial and marine ecosystem,’ said the Area Administrator of South Malekula, ‘allowing its natural regeneration for growth and ensuring that sustainable harvesting practices are maintained at all times due to the regulations in place.’

He also noted that the CCA aligns not only with provincial and national plans for sustainable development, but also with community level considerations over resource use, as the consultations have helped incorporate concerns over the loss of traditional tabus.

At the recent consultations in Akhamb, communities were told about other success stories for CCAs in Vanuatu, working with government staff and the Live & Learn Vanuatu team to tailor their land use and management plans to their needs. The community members were highly supportive throughout this process.

With the CCA encompassing or touching on several communities and schools, input was needed from a variety of representatives, though all were supportive.

The Renaur settlement, just next to the CCA boundary, even encouraged extending the boundary to help conserve their local crabs and other species, having witnessed the depletion of the natural resources in their area. Teachers from a local secondary school were very happy to have a nearby CCA to assist them with educational and research activities, while the Farun community, who strongly believe in traditional tabus, supported these being strengthened by CCA rules and bylaws.

Similar community consultations have been particularly important in Vunausi, where previous attempts by other organisations to establish a CCA have been unsuccessful. This has meant the consultation process has been more extensive than originally planned, but the challenges are continuing to be overcome.

Most recently, this has seen the Live & Learn team give a presentation to the Velolo tribe at the request of their chief, with the intention being to clarify confusion around the CCA management, including rules and bylaws. Serge from Live & Learn Vanuatu was able to clear up the tribe’s uncertainty around land access and usage, which has resulted in the chief and the entire Velolo tribe now expressing their support for the Vunausi CCA.

A final consultation likely remains to ease the concerns of other important stakeholders of the CCA – however, as these conservation areas are long-lasting and highly effective measures for environmental protection, addressing these concerns early is a key part of avoiding challenges in the future. Additional work now only makes the CCA stronger in the long run.

With all CCAs set to be registered and launched by the end of the year, CRI Vanuatu will soon have officially protected 3400ha of land and sea, while also supporting the communities that live in these areas.

Climate Resilient Islands is a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade initiative implemented by Live & Learn.