Eighty percent of the planet's biological diversity and roughly 95% of its cultural diversity resides in the homelands of indigenous peoples. One of the places where this interface is densest is in the coral regions of our oceans and the island communities that coexist with them. Scientists warn that coral reefs are one of the ecosystems that may disappear in our lifetimes, and along with them, the livelihoods, cultural heritage, and traditional ecological knowledge of the people who live in those regions. The archipelago of Vanuatu is home to a vast treasure trove of biological riches – from coral reefs to mangrove and rain forests – and an enduring interdependence between its people and their natural environments. The intimate relationship between Ni-Vanuatu (the people of Vanuatu) and their lands and seas finds expression in the densest language diversity per capita on the planet, with over 120 languages in active use! In this way, Vanuatu is a country that richly exemplifies the inextricable link between biological and cultural diversity, or biocultural diversity (UNESCO).
Following COP21, an article from the IUCN in this journal noted that island states are at the frontlines of climate change but are also “innovative incubators... showcasing solutions.” Vanuatu is a perfect example of this dynamic tension, and one group that particularly embodies such innovation is the Vanua-tai Resource Monitor Network. The Vanua-tai (meaning Land & Sea) are the archipelago's conservation champions, a remarkable Indigenous group of environmental stewards crafting local solutions to global crisis. My family has had the incredible opportunity to work side by side with these dedicated men and women through our organization, Island Reach, to help mobilize and expand their indigenous stewardship projects. This partnership has become an integral part of the Island Reach mission to serve as a catalyst for communities throughout the archipelago, amplifying the work of incubator sites and increasing opportunities for peer-to-peer engagement in remote settings. Working with the Vanua-tai aboard Research Vessel Llyr, we've been able to help link people, materials, and ideas between distant communities across expanses of water and learn our own valuable lessons from these skilled community organizers.
The Vanua-tai network was created 20 years ago by the renowned community arts and civic activist organization, Wan Smolbag (read: "one small bag"). Initially based on the main island of Efate, members were called “Turtle Monitors”, a name that came from from their focus on turtle conservation. Over time, the monitor network expanded throughout the archipelago and its mission grew in response to growing pressures throughout the islands; the name changed to Vanua-tai to reflect these broader concerns. Today, the Vanua-tai work with their communities across the country to develop strategies for dealing with issues ranging from coastal erosion to coral reefs in crisis, from climate change impacts on food and water security to sustainable tourism, to protecting species at risk and establishing marine and land conservation areas. The network has grown to over 400 community volunteers (50 of whom were able to attend the Nguna-Pele training), individuals woven into the social fabric of their villages and islands who have stepped forward to be agents of positive change. They act as cultural mediaries, building connections between traditional ecological knowledge, with practices that have evolved over generations, and Western science-based information and methods.
Empowering Vanua-tai in turn empowers their communities with the means to protect cultural identity – as a source of traditional knowledge as well as innovation and creativity – and to reduce pressures on natural resources while finding ways to increase the economic benefits from those resources. In this way, the Vanua-tai are a model for people around the world of Indigenous peoples designing and implementing locally appropriate and culturally-sensitive strategies for climate-change adaptation.
Learn more about the Vanua-tai's activities and our collaborative work in the archipelago at our website, www.IslandReach.org. View our wide range of videos, including the one produced about the amazing climate change adaptation conference that took place in August 2015, funded by the Asian Development Bank-Coral Triangle Initiative. Island Reach collaborates with The Ocean Foundation.
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