The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

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Please use these links to join each room. Each link is valid for each full day of the event.

Farea Pacifik 1

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Ballroom 1

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Ballroom 2

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09:00 - 10:00

Plenary Panel Discussion: Unlocking Pacific Innovation: Addressing Barriers, Financials Gaps and Enablers for Sustainable Development

Blue Carbon Ecosystem Policy – Discussion and Official Launch, Department of Environmental Protection & Conservation, Vanuatu

Summary:

Mangroves and seagrasses are potent "blue carbon" ecosystems that mitigate climate change by absorbing large amounts of CO₂ and burying it in seafloor sediments. To ensure that this environmental process and services is maintained, Vanuatu needs to protect and manage its Mangroves and Seagrass.

An important step towards this is to develop the Blue Carbon Ecosystem Policy to ensure better management and protection of mangroves and seagrass across Vanuatu, against threats like clearing of mangroves and seagrass, unregulated.

Speakers:

Rolenas Tavue, Principal Officer Biodiversity and Conservation
Osbourne Melenamu, Director, DEPC

Integrated innovative approaches for biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and climate-smart agriculture for coastal adaptation in Vanuatu. Adaptation to Climate Change in the Coastal Zone of Vanuatu Second Phase (VCAP2) project

Summary:

The Adaptation to Climate Change in the Coastal Zone of Vanuatu Second Phase (VCAP2) is a Government of Vanuatu initiative implemented by UNDP and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

VCAP2 addresses critical challenges including depletion of coastal fisheries, marine and terrestrial biodiversity threats, and climate change impacts.

It aims to enhance resilience of coastal communities through integrated biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, climate-smart agriculture, early warning systems, community climate adaptation plans, gender empowerment and social inclusion, and rights-based approaches – from local to national level.

10:00 - 10:30

COFFEE BREAK

10:30 - 11:30

Innovative Loss and Damage Funding Mechanisms, Department of Climate Change, Vanuatu

Summary:

Overview of Vanuatu NCLDF Innovation, latest developments at the FRLD and its unique setup and modalities, including direct budget support.

Speakers:

Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change
Willy Missack, Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC)
Moirah Matou, BOLD Project Coordinator
Brian Maltera, STRENGTH Project Lead
Professor Karen Macnamara, University of Queensland NELD Research Team (Online)
Dr Rebecca Bogiri, GGGI Vanuatu
Tuvalu Survival Fund Representative
Director General, Vanuatu Ministry of Climate Change

Vanuatu National Tabu Eria Roadmap + Launch of the Shefa Provincial Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Department of Environmental Protection & Conservation, Vanuatu

Summary:

Conservation is the preservation and management of Vanuatu’s natural resources and ecosystems. It is essential for protecting biodiversity, maintaining the food chain, and securing critical natural resources (like clean air and water) so both wildlife and human populations can thrive now and in the future.

To ensure that conservation are maintained and conservation risks are reduced, Vanuatu is developing its National Tabu Eria Roadmap, to build and effective, equitable and connected Tabu Eria Network system, that will enable tabu eria practitioners to strengthen their tabu erias through governance strengthening, socio livelihood support, economic viability, and restoring biodiversity.

This side event will bring together Government Stakeholders and Tabu Eria practitioners to discuss dedicated activities within the roadmap, and to strengthen Government and Community collaboration in implementing the roadmap.

This side event will also be introducing and officially launching of the Shefa Provincial Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Turning Small Grants into Big Resilience: Continuous CSO Support to Mobilise Climate Finance in Pacific Communities, UNDP

11:30 - 13:00

LUNCH

13:00 - 14:00

Locally Defined Resilience: How Communities Define and Track What Matters, Pacific Farmer Organisations

Summary:

This side event will feature a practical case study from the Climate Resilient Farming in the Pacific Islands (CRF-PI) project, focusing on a locally led resilience monitoring approach designed for use by farmers and communities. The session will highlight the shift away from externally defined indicators toward approaches that enable communities to define, monitor, and interpret resilience based on their own priorities and realities.

Speakers:

Mele Asena Muli - Growers Federation, TONGA
Crystal Koale - Kastom Gaden Association, SOLOMON ISLANDS
Annie Welin : Farm Support Association, Vanuatu

ClimateTech Hackathon Vanuatu 2026 Vlab

Summary:

To develop innovative, technology-driven solutions that strengthen climate resilience and promote creativity and innovation in Vanuatu.

Women Wetem Weta (WWW): Women Leading Climate Resilience in the Pacific, Action Aid Vanuatu

Summary:

Through a panel discussion featuring community leaders, government agencies (VMGD, NDMO), and telecommunications partner Digicel, this session will demonstrate how locally-led, gender-responsive early warning systems reduce loss and damage, advance disability inclusion, and drive policy change during disasters and emergencies.

The Women Wetem Weta initiative proves that locally led, gender-responsive early warning systems are not only economically sound but also socially transformative.

For governments in the Pacific and other climate-vulnerable regions, investing in such models can reduce disaster losses, empower communities, and drive equitable resilience.

The initiative advances community-centred action through a phone tree network of 4,000 women reaching 140,000 people across seven islands in Vanuatu. WWW has been formally embedded into the National Emergency Operations Centre, demonstrating national recognition.

A 2024 research report by the Australian Pacific Climate Partnership, The Economics of Acting Early, confirms a return of $4.40 for every $1 invested in WWW, making a compelling case for WWW as a gender-responsive multi-hazard early warning system.

Speakers:

Flora Vano, Country Manager, ActionAid Vanuatu
Ellen Tamata, Disability Inclusion Coordinator, ActionAid Vanuatu
Janet, community mobiliser from WITTT Network
TBC, Vanuatu Meteorological and Geosciences Division
TBC, National Disaster Management Office,Vanuatu
TBC, Digicel Vanuatu
Janet Iatiknu, Community Mobiliser, WITTT Tanna Network & WWW Correspondent
Carol Angir, Deputy Head of Programs/Humanitarian Lead, ActionAid Australia / ActionAid Vanuatu

14:00 - 15:00

Panel on Applications of Climate and Hazard Risk Data in the Context of Loss and Damage, Earth Sciences NZ (PaRTneR Programme)

Summary:

This panel discussion, Applications of Climate and Hazard Risk Data in the Context of Loss and Damage, will explore how climate and hazard risk information is being applied to support decision‑making related to loss and damage in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

The objective of the session is to highlight practical, decision‑focused approaches that translate climate and hazard data into insights that inform policy, planning, and action in high‑risk contexts.

Speakers:

Yvette Turua, PaRTneR 2+ Country Coordinator, Climate Change Cook Islands
Falefou Papua, PaRTneR 2+ Country Coordinator, National Disaster Management Office, Tuvalu
Johnny Tarry Nimau, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Ministry of Climate Change, Vanuatu
Moderator: Moirah Matou, BOLD project manager, Ministry of Climate Change, Vanuatu

ClimateTech Hackathon Vanuatu 2026 Vlab

Summary:

To develop innovative, technology-driven solutions that strengthen climate resilience and promote creativity and innovation in Vanuatu.

Scaling Bamboo for Resilient Construction in the Pacific, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Summary:

This interactive side event will explore how bamboo can be scaled up as a resilient, lower-carbon and locally grounded construction solution for Pacific Island Countries and Territories.

Using GGGI’s Fiji Bamboo Project under the LECRD programme as the core case study, the session will share lessons from Fiji’s work to build an evidence-based enabling environment for bamboo construction, including mechanical testing of locally available bamboo, analysis of sustainable cultivation and treatment methods, work on standards and codes, and efforts to strengthen awareness, skills and inclusive participation across the value chain.

It will also highlight South-South learning through partnership with Base Bahay in the Philippines and its Cement Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT), which offers valuable lessons for affordable and disaster-resilient housing.

The event will combine short expert inputs with facilitated discussion on what is needed to replicate and scale bamboo construction across the Pacific, including institutional partnerships, financing, standards, technical capacity and community engagement.

Expected outcomes include stronger awareness of bamboo’s potential, practical insights on scaling pathways, and new connections between governments, researchers, practitioners and partners interested in advancing bamboo-based construction in the Pacific.

Speakers:

Kirstin Morrison - Programme Manager of the Low Emission Climate Resilient Development (LECRD) programme at GGGI
Shavneet Mani - the GGGI project manager of the Fiji Bamboo project
Arno Roos - a consultant to our project and bamboo entrepreneur
Dr Nischal Pradhan, Head of the Base Innovation Centre, Base Bahay Foundation (Base Innovation Center - Build Beyond Today - BASE)

15:00 - 15:30

COFFEE BREAK

15:30 - 16:30

National Air Quality Taskforce, covering climate change mitigation efforts through the implementation of the Pollution Control Act for SLCPs and the OLP Act for HFC phase-outm, Department of Environmental Protection & Conservation, Vanuatu

Summary:
Mainstreaming the mandate of the National Air Quality Taskforce (NAQT) and the National Solid Waste Management Committee (NSWMC) to mitigate methane and CO2 Mitigation of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). Methane mitigation through composting of diverted organic waste from the Bouffa landfill.

Promotion of 3R initiatives through recycling and reusing through the creation of value addition products.

TUUTUU LAAU FAAMANUITI Pollinators of Change: Youth Driving Climate Resilience MNRE SAMOA

Round table on customary and community-led natural resource management Gardiens

Summary:

This event will take the form of a roundtable discussion featuring several members of our organization. In the first part, we will address the underrepresentation of terrestrial ecosystems in Pacific environmental agendas, as well as the limited recognition of customary management practices by institutional frameworks, despite their crucial role in resource conservation.

This will include a presentation of our ongoing study on customary land-based natural resource management in Melanesia. We will also share our experience, highlight our partner institutions, and present our bottom-up approach, which enables us to work in close collaboration with local communities.

The discussion will then open to contributions from several speakers : Malik Oedin, who will present his work on flying foxes in New Caledonia; Kayel Meandu and Vincent Djamali, who will discuss community-based water management in the Boyen tribe in New Caledonia; Marine Aubert, who will explore the reestablishment of customary rules and fire-use practices in Touho and Kouaoua; and Elvys Gourou, representing the Customary Senate, who will provide an institutional perspective.

Speakers:

Léa Creux, Research fellow at Gardiens Des Îles.

16:30 - 17:30

REnew Pacific: Empowering Rural Communities of Vanuatu through Renewable Energy SolutionsGlobal Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Summary:

This side event will showcase an integrated renewable energy model delivering clean water, reliable electricity, and climate resilience to rural Vanuatu communities.

Drawing on implementation experience from past implementation phases, the session will highlight how solar-powered water pumping systems (SWPS) and standalone solar PV with battery storage can transform health, education, and community services while replacing diesel dependence.

Speakers:

Ali Shaik, Country Representative – PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, former Project Manager for the SWPS Phase II (Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change Through Solar Power Driven Access to Water in Rural Areas of Outer Islands

Climate AI for Resilience and Early Warning – From Data to Decision-Making - From Data to Decision Making, DI Lab Inc.

Summary:

Our session will demonstrate how advanced climate intelligence technologies can directly support community-centered action, policy, and early warning systems in vulnerable regions. We will present DI CAST, an AI-based anomaly detection and prediction platform, including Rain CAST, our AI-powered radar mapping solution. This technology enables continuous and seamless observation of precipitation, particularly in regions with limited or no radar coverage.

By integrating multi-source data, including IoT sensors and satellite observations, and applying generative AI, Rain CAST produces high-resolution, radar-like imagery tailored to local conditions, with spatial resolution down to 2 km.

This capability is critical for strengthening national Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS), ensuring more accurate, localized, and timely rainfall and extreme weather information.

Improved data quality directly supports decision-makers in developing responsive policies, allocating resources, and issuing early warnings. At the community level, this translates into actionable insights that empower local governments and populations to prepare for and respond to floods, typhoons, and cyclones. By bridging data gaps and enhancing predictive capacity, our solution contributes to reducing climate-induced loss and damage, while supporting Pacific leadership in adopting innovative, scalable technologies for resilience.

Speakers:

Director Laitia Fifita, Tonga Meteorological Service
Dr. Yeji Choi,CTO, DI Lab Inc.
Dr. Chun Jeong Ahn, Division Director, Climate Change Analysis Department, APCC

Driving institutional support to costumary-led natural resource management SEVE

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.