Project VU2

National Facilitating Committee for the GEF Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project (VU2).

Vanuatu

$15,079

VU2 will create a national platform that gathers a wide range of stakeholders to coordinate the implementation of national projects, share experiences and work to both remove policy barriers and improve existing policies to enhance the conservation of dugongs and seagrass ecosystems.

VU2 will establish a National Facilitating Committee (NFC) to facilitate and coordinate the national projects implemented under the umbrella of the global GEF Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project.

The primary objectives of the NFC will be to: advise on the specific activities to be carried out as part of the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project, taking into account the country’s specific context; meet and regularly review project progress on the ground; and communicate progress and key issues to the Executive Project Steering Committee (EPSC) and the National Dugong Focal Points.

The NFC will be made up of representatives from those government departments that undertake work which affects dugong and seagrass conservation, namely the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC), the Vanuatu Fisheries Department (VFD), the Department of Tourism, the Department of Climate Change and Disaster management, the Department of Education, the Department of Forestry and the Department of Agriculture. Other representatives will be drawn from NGOs involved in conservation and from the private sector.

The NFC will also facilitate communication amongst agencies by linking government departments and NGOs to assist the implementation of the National Plan for conservation of dugongs and their seagrass habitats.

Deliverables