Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Penny Wong has commended Vanuatu for the Malapoa Mangrove Restoration Project on the Malapoa coast and Ifira island.
Wong said the project demonstrates the power of urgency, of local solutions, of empowerment and of harnessing the understanding of ni Vanuatu and the people of the Pacific about how to manage this risk industry.
She made the comment while visiting the project site with a bipartisan Australian delegation on Tuesday.
"We want to continue to build on our work together, on the ways we can manage and mitigate the effects of climate change."
Senator Wong also handed over green snails to the chairman of Ifira Marine Management Edward Kalsakau, who then settled these crustaceans in the marine conservation area which covers the Ifira island and Malapoa coastline.
Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau said the event demonstrates the government's commitment to building and strengthening community resilience'
The Malapoa Mangrove Restoration project is a collaboration by the Departments of Fisheries, Forestry, Environment Protection & Conservation, the SHEFA Provincial Government, the Ifira Marine Management and the communities of Ifira and Malapoa/Kawenu.
Photo supplied Caption: Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Penny Wong and Prime Minister Ismael Kalsakau plant mangroves at Malapoa/Kawenu sea front.