Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: Initially, attempts to establish forest reserves had been met with strong oppositions from local communities. These communities fear that the establishment will deprive them from their consumption of forest resources. However, with the Environment Units effort to explain the importance and how communities will benefit from forest reserves, they later understood the concept and supported on the idea.

     Framework for coordination: Since there is no framework for environmental legislation and the Environment Unit has no regulatory or enforcement powers, the unit acts as an advisor to the government and a facilitator to the people by educating and assisting the people towards sustainable development.

     Integrating stakeholders: Establishment of forest reserves has been done under the partnership of provincial and national government, NGOs, and local communities, with the Environment Unit as a coordinator and facilitator. The unit believes that the key to success of establishing these forest reserves have been due to cooperation from these stakeholders, especially from local communities.

Background:

      Loss of rainforests and island biodiversity

      Exploitation of tropical rainforests in the Melanesian countries of the Western Pacific has been a difficult conservation issue. Melanesian people are highly dependant on the forest resources for food, fuel-wood, building materials, maintaining the micro-climates of the islands, and shelter from storms. On the other hand the people also want money and although they do get some funds from selling forest produce, large international companies quickly tip the scales in favour of rapid deforestation.

      Protecting key areas, rich in biodiversity, has become a priority. But island governments are faced with two problems. First, the governments get money from the export of logs and want to improve their economic base by selling logs to the highest bidder. Secondly, the village people are the legal owners of the land and the trees. If they decide to sell the trees to a logging company, the government can do little to protect the forest. Setting up a national forest, therefore, becomes difficult as the village people must be convinced that conservation is more important than cash.

      Therefore, the success of the Vatthe Conservation Area offers some insight into how the Vanuatu government and an NGO were able to gain the interest, cooperation and finally partnership with the villagers of northern Espirito Santo Island.

      In Vanuatu, the Environmental Unit is currently in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It's prime ministry has shifted 5 times in the past three years. The unit has a small staff and not much money. There is no framework environmental legislation and the unit has no regulatory or enforcement powers at all. The unit acts an advisor to government ministries, provincial government, and to the public. The staff see themselves as facilitators, trying to educate and assist the people of Vanuatu (including government people) in achieving sustainable development.

      The Vatthe Conservation Area is the first national forest park in Vanuatu. It protects 4,470ha of rich and diverse forests on the north coast of Santo. The park was set up as a partnership between the local community, NGOs, the provincial and national governments.

      Past attempts to establish forest parks and reserves in Vanuatu met with strong local opposition. Government passed a National Parks Act in 1994 and the Environment Unit was looking for potential sites. The law, however, was modeled after legislation in Australia and the Vanuatu Environment Unit found it difficult to implement in the social and land-ownership setting of Vanuatu.

      In 1994, the Royal Forest and Bird Society of New Zealand assisted the Environment Unit in conducting a biodiversity survey of a forest on the northern coast of Santo. During the survey, the research team asked local village people to assist in the fieldwork. As the research into the biodiversity of the forests continued, the local people became interested in possible ways they could make use of their forest resources without resorting to logging. The research effort gave rise to a common between the village people and officers from the Environment Unit to set aside the forest as a conservation area.

      Officials at the Environment Unit believe the key to the success of the project was the active involvement of the village people in the research activity. The open exchange of information and exploration of the forest helped the village people to understand and appreciate the extent of their own resources. It also provided a lengthy opportunity for scientists, government workers and villagers to discuss conservation ideas for the forest area.

      The Environment unit made certain the government acted as facilitators, assisting the local people in reaching their own conservation policy. The decision to set up a conservation area was made by the villagers and the village people themselves manage and control the conservation area. Initially, the Environment Unit did most of the planning, and assisted the villagers in learning planning and budgeting for a conservation area. After 12 months, however, the community took over all planning and budgeting for the area. A committee oversees the conservation area and the Environment Unit sits on the committee.

      As a result, the community feels a strong commitment to the park.

     Click here to meet Russel Nari of the Vanuatu Environment Unit and find out his personal views on why the project was a success.