Asian Development Bank

The grant, provided by the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, will help fund the Vanuatu Manaro Volcano Disaster Response Project.

On 26 September, a state of emergency for Ambae Island was declared by the Government of Vanuatu and a mass evacuation of the island’s entire population of 11,000 was called. People from the western and northern parts of the island were evacuated to Santo Island, while people from the eastern part were evacuated to Maewo and Pentecost islands. The Manaro volcano’s increased activity has contaminated many of the island’s water resources. 

The facility was opened on Tuesday by the Minister of Infrastructure Jotham Napat, Australian High Commissioner Jenny Da Rin, Port Vila Lord Mayor Ulrich Sumptoh, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director Emma Veve. 

Funded by the Governments of Vanuatu and Australia, along with a $5 million loan from ADB through the Port Vila Urban Development Project (PVUDP), the facility will improve Port Vila’s waterways and the health of residents and surrounding communities.

The additional funding consists of a $4.1 million loan and a $4.1 million grant from ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources and the Asian Development Fund, respectively. The Government of Vanuatu is also contributing $1.2 million in the project.

The Pacific Island countries to be supported by the new fund include the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

These countries face developmental issues such as small populations, limited resources, remoteness and vulnerability to natural disasters.

The Pacific Energy Update 2017 provides a comprehensive overview of ADB’s energy-focused work in the Pacific. The publication highlights the impacts of ADB-supported energy initiatives completed in 2016 and ongoing in 2017, while providing details of what ADB hopes to achieve in the energy sector in the future.

The bank said strong economic growth was masking urgent infrastructure and environmental challenges that threaten the long term sustainability of Palau's economy.

In an ADB assessment it warned the rapid growth of low-end tourism could damage Palau's famed natural environment and World Heritage sites.

The bank's Liliana Warid says figures showing GDP growth of 5.3 percent in 2014 and 8.2 percent in 2015 don't capture the risks that increased tourist numbers bring to popular sites.

This would be through improved access to sanitation, drainage facilities, and roads.

A grant agreement for the additional financing was signed in a ceremony in Port Vila today, attended by Jean Pierre Nirua, Vanuatu's Education Minister and Acting Minister of Finance and Economic Management, and Nancy Wells, Senior Country Coordination Officer of ADB’s Extended Mission in Vanuatu.

The $2.87 million grant will be provided by the Global Environment Facility.

It involved an upgrade and rehabilitation of the road network in South Tarawa.

The project was also being supported by the World Bank and the Government of Australia through the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility.

The ADB grant was to go to the construction of important road network links by adding an extra 7.8 kilometres of paved road and half a kilometre of unpaved road to cover additional areas in Betio and Bairiki linked to the current project.

Photo: Shifani Sood

The Outer Island Maritime Infrastructure Project aims to construct a small harbour on the island of Nukulaelae, and rehabilitate boat ramps on Nanumaga and Niutao.

Most Tuvalu outer islands lack docking facilities for ocean-going ships making it more difficult to transfer passengers and cargo on workboats.

The Financial reported that the $US13.3 million project is geared to develop an overall plan for making shipping to and from the capital safer and more efficient.

RNZ reports the high cost of living means many people struggle to meet basic needs.

The ADB points out that there is also a lack of access to basic infrastructure, services and utilities and low levels of employment or income generating opportunities.

Of 14 Pacific countries the Marshall Islands population is the most poor, with just over half its people living below the national poverty line.

Tonga's closest neighbours, Fiji, has 31% of its population living below the poverty line and Samoa 26.9%.

Vanuatu has the lowest poverty statistics at 12.7%.