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

Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd

Brief overview

Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd is a Papua New Guinea–based pioneer in sustainable land management and climate resilience. Leveraging the unique properties of vetiver grass, the company delivers nature‑based solutions for soil stabilization, erosion control, and ecosystem restoration across the Pacific. As a trusted partner to communities, governments, and international networks, Eagle Vetiver Systems integrates technical expertise with innovative services such as drone mapping and geospatial analysis. Guided by a vision of climate‑positive development, the company empowers stakeholders with practical, scalable strategies that enhance livelihoods, safeguard natural resources, and build resilience against environmental challenges.

Your organisation’s goals

Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd delivers innovative, nature‑based solutions that directly address climate change and environmental degradation across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. At the heart of its services is the strategic use of vetiver grass systems for soil stabilization, erosion control, and watershed protection—critical interventions that safeguard communities from climate‑driven disasters such as flooding and landslides. The company integrates these ecological methods with modern technologies, including drone mapping and geospatial analysis, to provide precise land‑use planning and climate resilience strategies.

Beyond technical interventions, Eagle Vetiver Systems supports sustainable agriculture by restoring degraded lands, improving soil fertility, and enhancing water retention, thereby strengthening food security under changing climate conditions. Its consultancy services extend to climate adaptation planning, environmental restoration, and community capacity building, ensuring that solutions are both scientifically sound and socially inclusive.

By combining indigenous knowledge, scientific expertise, and cutting‑edge tools, Eagle Vetiver Systems empowers governments, donors, and local communities to implement scalable, cost‑effective measures that reduce vulnerability, protect ecosystems, and promote climate‑positive development. The company’s mission is to transform environmental challenges into opportunities for resilience, sustainability, and long‑term prosperity.

Describe your innovation

Innovation: Vetiver‑Integrated Drone Mapping for Climate Resilient Land Management

Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd has pioneered the integration of vetiver grass systems with advanced drone mapping and geospatial analysis to tackle climate change and environmental challenges in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). This innovation combines the natural resilience of vetiver—renowned for its deep root system that stabilizes soil, prevents erosion, and enhances water retention—with cutting‑edge aerial technologies that provide precise data on vulnerable landscapes.

By overlaying drone‑captured imagery with vetiver planting strategies, Eagle Vetiver Systems can identify erosion hotspots, degraded lands, and climate‑exposed areas with remarkable accuracy. This enables targeted interventions that restore ecosystems, protect coastal zones, and strengthen agricultural productivity. The approach directly addresses pressing climate challenges such as rising sea levels, extreme rainfall, and land degradation, which disproportionately affect PICTs.

The relevance of this innovation lies in its scalability and cost‑effectiveness. Pacific communities often face resource constraints and fragile ecosystems; vetiver‑based solutions are low‑cost, sustainable, and adaptable to diverse terrains. Coupled with geospatial precision, they empower governments, donors, and local stakeholders to implement climate‑positive measures that reduce disaster risks, safeguard food security, and build long‑term resilience.
This fusion of indigenous ecological knowledge and modern technology exemplifies Eagle Vetiver Systems’ mission: transforming environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable development across the Pacific.

How is this solution is innovative?

Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) is an innovative, nature‑based solution that harnesses the extraordinary biological and structural properties of Chrysopogon zizanioides—commonly known as vetiver grass—to address climate change and environmental degradation. Its deep, fibrous root system, extending up to five meters, binds soil with remarkable strength, preventing erosion, stabilizing slopes, and enhancing water infiltration. Unlike conventional engineering methods, VGT is low‑cost, self‑sustaining, and environmentally regenerative, making it ideal for resource‑limited regions. Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd has advanced this innovation by integrating VGT with drone mapping and geospatial analysis, enabling precise identification of erosion hotspots and climate‑vulnerable areas. This synergy allows targeted vetiver planting that restores degraded lands, protects watersheds, and improves agricultural resilience. For Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), where fragile ecosystems face rising sea levels, intense rainfall, and soil loss, VGT offers a scalable, community‑driven approach to climate adaptation. It strengthens food security, safeguards infrastructure, and enhances natural resilience without relying on heavy machinery or imported materials. By merging traditional ecological knowledge with modern technology, Vetiver Grass Technology exemplifies sustainable innovation—turning environmental challenges into opportunities for regeneration and long‑term climate resilience across the Pacific.

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

Scaling up Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) in PICTs requires coordinated institutional partnerships, sustainable financing, and targeted capacity building. Regional collaboration between governments, research institutions, and organizations such as the Pacific Community (SPC) and The Vetiver Network International can establish technical standards, training programs, and demonstration sites. These partnerships ensure knowledge transfer and policy integration into national climate adaptation frameworks.

Financing models should blend public investment, donor support, and private sector participation. Climate funds—such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) or regional resilience programs—can underwrite pilot projects, while community cooperatives and agribusinesses can sustain operations through eco‑service payments and carbon‑offset schemes.

Capacity development is central to replication. Training local technicians, farmers, and youth in vetiver propagation, drone mapping, and geospatial monitoring builds ownership and long‑term sustainability. Integrating VGT into school curricula and vocational programs further embeds environmental stewardship.

By combining institutional alignment, blended financing, and community‑based capacity building, PICTs can replicate Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd’s innovation at scale—transforming fragile landscapes into resilient ecosystems and empowering Pacific communities to lead climate‑positive development.

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

Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) is widely recognized as cost‑effective and affordable for end users in PICTs, particularly communities, micro‑, small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises (MSMEs), and local governments. Unlike conventional engineering solutions such as concrete retaining walls or imported geotextiles, vetiver requires minimal capital investment. Propagation is inexpensive, relying on slips that can be shared and replanted, and maintenance costs are low because vetiver is hardy, self‑sustaining, and resistant to pests and diseases.

For communities, this means erosion control and land restoration can be achieved without heavy machinery or specialized contractors. MSMEs benefit from affordable land stabilization that protects agricultural productivity and reduces climate‑related losses. Local governments can deploy VGT at scale for infrastructure protection and watershed management at a fraction of the cost of hard engineering, freeing resources for other climate adaptation priorities.

Affordability is further enhanced by the participatory nature of VGT: communities can be trained to propagate and manage vetiver themselves, reducing dependency on external expertise. This builds local ownership and resilience while keeping costs manageable.

In short, VGT delivers high impact at low cost, making it an accessible, sustainable, and financially viable climate adaptation tool for Pacific end users.

Locations (country, island, or community) where this solution has been piloted and/or implemented

Coastal Erosion – Bukawa Village, Papua New Guinea VGT was applied to stabilize vulnerable coastal zones facing severe erosion. Vetiver planting created natural barriers that reduced shoreline loss, protected community assets, and enhanced resilience against rising sea levels and storm surges.

Highway Slope Protection – Ok Tedi Mining, Tabubil, Papua New Guinea On steep highway slopes prone to landslides, vetiver systems were integrated to reinforce soil stability. This reduced maintenance costs, minimized road disruptions, and provided a sustainable alternative to conventional engineering methods in a challenging terrain.

Infrastructure Protection – Gizo Correction Centre, Solomon Islands VGT was implemented to safeguard institutional infrastructure against erosion and flooding risks. By stabilizing surrounding land and improving drainage, vetiver planting protected critical facilities while demonstrating cost‑effective climate adaptation for government institutions.

Learn more:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/103687405/admin/dashboard/

Kokoda Trail Motel launches sustainable land rehabilitation project

https://www.nbc.com.pg/post/24880/vetiver-grass-offers-climate-smart-solution-for-pngs-future

https://www.thenational.com.pg/new-grass-for-soil-protection-touted/

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.