Climate change alone is not the cause of the ongoing issues with road conditions in Vanuatu.
A reliable source claims that the systems put in place by authorities are not strong enough to maintain road quality standards across the country.
Vanuatu has two main seasons each year: the wet season from November to April, and the dry season from May to September.
Under the VanKIRAP climate project within the Ministry of Climate Change, these conditions are well known and are already factored into road design standards and construction timelines that the infrastructure sector is expected to follow.
A source involved in the public works sector says the real problems are poor drainage systems, weak supervision, and a lack of consistent maintenance — all key drivers of deteriorating road conditions.
The source explains that when drainage is blocked or not cleared after heavy rain, water builds up on the roads. This seeps into the pavement base, damages the road, and leads to potholes and overall road deterioration.
The source adds that in many cases, potholes are not properly patched, which becomes a safety concern.
There are also concerns about the lack of regular maintenance in other provinces, with many roads continuing to worsen.
The source further states that subdivision developers, where the government is investing, are also being questioned about whether they meet proper road condition standards.
Despite using existing road design models from Australia and New Zealand, there are still issues with effective supervision and quality assurance.
A road contractor with six years of experience in concrete pavement in the country, Kenery Owe, owner of Otal Excavation, says concrete pavement is more effective in reducing repeated road maintenance.
“The solution for our roads is probably concrete pavement only; it is one of the best ways for us to build our roads so they can last a long time, especially given our weather conditions, which include a lot of rain.”
All these points show that climate change is not the main cause of road failure in Vanuatu — it only exposes weaknesses in supervision, drainage, and maintenance systems.
Experts say that if authorities fix these areas, roads will be better able to withstand the country’s harsh weather conditions.
