Vanuatu Farmers, Empowered by Women Leaders, Gain Crucial Climate Tools to Secure Resilient Food Systems

Local women leaders and farmers in Vanuatu have significantly enhanced their capacity to build climate-resilient food systems and protect their agricultural livelihoods following a comprehensive week of training and community outreach focused on the OSCAR (TailOred System of Climate Services for ARriculture).

The OSCAR Technical Workshop and Community Outreach Week," held in Efate from 3 to 7 November 2025, successfully translated complex climate science into practical advice, directly benefiting rural communities in their fight against climate variability and change.

A fundamental goal of the program was to strengthen Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion by elevating the role of women in climate action. The foundation of the community outreach began with a two-day workshop titled “Empowering Women in Climate-Smart Agriculture”. On the first day, a focused Training of Trainers program equipped around 25 community organisers and farmers from the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) network with advanced skills.

This training specifically focused on empowering women’s central role in driving adaptation actions and sustaining resilient agricultural livelihoods. The overall workshop structure successfully strengthened women’s leadership as community trainers. These newly trained facilitators immediately engaged the wider public on Day two, ensuring that the knowledge was spread effectively among the approximately 40 participants, including community members from all over Vanuatu.

“Before this workshop, the climate forecasts felt complicated, but now I know exactly how to read the Agromet Bulletin and use the OSCAR decision-tree system to tell my community when to plant and what crops will thrive. This training gives us the power to protect our food," said Ms Rosita Husa, a Community Mobiliser and farmer with the WITTT network.

Mr. Jong Ahn Chun, Head of the Climate Change Analysis Department of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Climate Centre (APCC), emphasised the technical achievements: “Our goal at APCC is to ensure that complex climate science translates into simple, actionable steps on the ground. By ensuring the OSCAR system incorporates traditional knowledge and provides location-specific advice, we are building truly tailored resilience for Vanuatu’s farmers”.

Mr. Sunny Kamuta Seuseu, Project Manager for Van-KIRAP of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration: “The success of this comprehensive outreach, made possible through the Green Climate Fund’s Van-KIRAP project, demonstrates the power of strong regional partnerships. Investing in local women’s leadership ensures that critical climate information reaches the most remote gardens and contributes directly to the national goal of resilient development”.

This critical capacity-building initiative is part of the Vanuatu Klaemaet Infomesen Blong Rady, Adapt mo Protekt (Van-KIRAP) project funded by the Green Climate Fund. The success of the technical workshop and outreach activities is built on a strong foundation of local and regional partnerships involving Action Aid Vanuatu- Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT), Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Climate Center (APCC) and SPREP.

The outcomes of OSCAR community awareness week promote inclusive participation in building climate-resilient food systems throughout Vanuatu.

About the VanKIRAP Project:
The Vanuatu Klaemet Infomesen blong Redy, Adapt mo Protekt (VanKIRAP) Project is funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD). The project aims to improve climate resilience in Vanuatu through the development and delivery of improved climate information services for agriculture, fisheries, tourism, infrastructure, water sectors and communities. 

For more information, please contact Mr. Sunny Kamuta Seuseu on email: [email protected]