Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital city and economic hub, located on the island of Efate is a growing city that faces not only expansion but high vulnerability to natural hazards such as cyclones, earthquakes and associated tsunamis, prolonged inundation and drought. A recent example is Tropical Cyclone Pam which caused more than 32,600 households to seek post-disaster support. Port Vila has a population of just over 50,000 and is projected to double in size by 2028. The municipality has already outgrown its original urban boundaries due to the substantial population growth, along with urban migration, rapid development of squatter and informal settlements. At the same time, commercial installations are expanding. The efficiency of existing infrastructure reflects not only rapid growth but also deficiencies in urban planning over the city’s history as well as ineffective implementation of urban development. The ongoing inefficiencies are attributed to a lack of clearly defined institutional responsibilities among the government agencies concerned. There is a need for both institutional reform and improved land use planning and development processes that take account of against risks from potential hazards to prevent or reduce the destruction of public and private infrastructure, economic assets and threats to lives and livelihoods.
The Government of Vanuatu (the government) is being supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to implement the Greater Port Vila Urban Resilience Project (the project). The project will increase urban resilience and livability in Greater Port Vila area through resilient infrastructure development, sector strengthening support and coordinated policy dialogue and will address issues of effectiveness and sustainability based on lessons emerging from previous projects in Vanuatu. The project also responds to the dual threat and crisis caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and Tropical Cyclone Harold in the recovery stage through (i) preventive measures, (ii) a focus on the vulnerable and ‘new poor’; and (iii) partnerships and labor-intensive investments that would help generate jobs and stimulate the local economy