23 June 2025, East Epi, Vanuatu - A dedicated team from the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) and the Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong Redy, Adapt mo Protekt (VanKIRAP) Project recently concluded a significant 10-day mission across East Epi, successfully engaging communities in preserving vital traditional knowledge (TK) for climate resilience.
The intensive outreach ran from 2 – 11 June 2025, targeting communities within the Varsu Area Council. The team visited nine villages – Mate (June 2), Nikaura (June 3), Nuvi (June 3), Nivenue (June 4), Moriu (June 5), Niku (June 6), Paia (June 7), Maparawa (June 9), and Lokopui (June 10). The mission culminated in an awareness session at Epi High School on 11 June.
The main objectives of the mission were to set up TK monitoring by establishing systems within Varsu communities to document local indigenous indicators used for predicting weather and climate events, train community members to use the innovative “Climate Watch” app as a tool to monitor local indicators and contribute to citizen science, gather user feedback through surveys to better understand community experiences with VMGD services and the Climate Watch App trials, and to check on the condition of informational signboards installed by Van-KIRAP and VMGD in 2024.
A total of 133 community members across the nine villages, 68 of whom were women and 65 men, actively participated in community meetings, practical training sessions, and surveys demonstrating strong local engagement. Notably, women participated robustly, often matching or exceeding male attendance in villages like Mate, Paia, and Maparawa, reflecting a commitment to Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles.
"As mothers and gardeners, we see the small changes in the land and sea first. This information session gave us the confidence to record what we see using the ClimateWatch app – not just tell our husbands. It's like having our own recipe book for the weather, helping us plan our gardens better and keep our families safe. Knowing our observations count alongside the men's is important." said Ms. Leimawa Simon, Maparawa Village.
The mission achieved its core aims, empowering communities to systematically monitor and record their unique traditional knowledge indicators for weather and climate prediction and utilise the Climate Watch app as a practical tool to support their observations and contribute valuable local data to broader scientific understanding (citizen science).
Communities were also empowered to provide direct feedback to VMGD on the usefulness of its climate information products and services and to utilise the educational signboards installed in 2024 as ongoing resources for community learning about climate and weather.
Engaging the Next Generation.
Recognising the importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer, the VanKIRAP team extended their outreach to Epi High School on 11 June. An awareness session attracted 113 students, introducing them to the value of traditional knowledge alongside modern climate science and tools like the Climate Watch app.
"The app is cool - learning why my grandfather watches certain birds or how the old stories predict cyclones... that connects me to our island in a new way. It’s not just science from books anymore; it’s our science, passed down. I want to help my family use both to prepare." said Mr. Samuel Nako, a Year 10 student at Epi High School.
The mission represented a crucial step in VMGD’s traditional knowledge strategy to bolster climate resilience. By systematically documenting traditional knowledge – often held by elders – and integrating it with modern technology like the Climate Watch app, VanKIRAP is helping communities preserve invaluable cultural heritage while enhancing their access to actionable climate information. The strong participation, particularly by women, ensures diverse perspectives shape this vital work.
"The active involvement of communities across East Epi, including our youth at the high school, is incredibly encouraging," said Mr. Levu Antfalo, Director of VMGD. "Successfully setting up these traditional knowledge monitoring systems and empowering communities with tools like the ClimateWatch app means they are now better equipped than ever to observe their environment, preserve their wisdom, and make informed decisions based on both traditional and scientific knowledge. What they have documented through the ClimateWatch app goes beyond simply archiving traditional knowledge—it actively contributes to our broader understanding of climate variability and long-term climate change. This is the heart of building long-term resilience."
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The Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong Redy, Adapt mo Protekt (Van-KIRAP) project is a five-year, USD 22 million project which aims to support climate resilient development in Vanuatu through the development, communication, and application of climate information services to benefit agriculture, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure, water sectors and communities.
It is funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme in partnership with the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and APEC Climate Center.
For more information on the Vanuatu TK program visit: https://www.vmgd.gov.vu/climate/traditional-knowledge and for real-time alerts: visit: www.vmgd.gov.vu