Port Vila, 10 July 2025 — The Ministry of Climate Change has officially announced the formal separation of the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) into two distinct departments, marking a significant step in strengthening the country’s disaster preparedness and climate response systems.

Senior Compliance Officer Tom Maimai confirmed that the separation follows provisions in legislation passed by Parliament in 2016, which outlined the establishment of three independent agencies: Meteorology, Geological Hazards, and Climate Change under the Meteorology, Geological Hazards, and Climate Change Act.

“We want to separate these functions to clearly define the roles and administrative duties of each director. This will improve efficiency and ensure that each department operates under its own legislation,” Maimai said.

He said there has efforts has been done on policy development last year in endorsement by the Council of Ministers (COM), allowing each division to be governed under its own legal framework.

Currently, while many positions remain unchanged, Maimai said the Geo-Hazards Unit will now operate with its own administrative structure, aimed at enhancing coordination with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) during emergencies.

“Previously, one director held responsibilities for both meteorology and geo-hazards. Now, with a dedicated Director for Geo-Hazards, we can provide more focused early warning information on hazards, and better support the NDMO in its response work,” Maimai explained.

He noted that the separation will also strengthen the Ministry’s ability to develop policies based on scientific early warning information, improving service delivery across the country on disaster response.

“With both departments now operating independently but in close collaboration, this structure will help boost national services and also strengthen working relationships with regional and international partners,” he added.

The Geo-Hazards Department will focus on monitoring and providing scientific analysis on geological hazards that is affecting people with events such as volcanic activities, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides. Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department will continue to focus on weather forecasting and climate services.

The Ministry says the ultimate goal of the restructuring is to build national resilience in the face of rising climate and geological risks, and to ensure timely and targeted response to natural hazards.