Vanuata and Kiribati Flood Management

In March 2015 floods hit the islands of Vanuata and Kiribati as the Cyclone Pam surged through the region.  The waves flooded many of the islands of Kiribati, which rise a few meters above mean sea level. Kiribati had experienced a King Tide already in February 2015, an especially high tide
that occurs periodically. Luckily no fatalities were reported.

Minister Ploumen of the Netherlands responded to the news by committing EUR 3 million in support of the Vanuatu recovery process and offered Vanuatu president Baldwin Jacobson Lonsdale to send in a Dutch Risk Reduction (DRR) Team to assess the situation and to provide Kiribati and the Republic of Vanuata with advice on coastal protection, flood management, improved water supply and related post-disaster measures to be taken. Water Partner Sjef IJzermans was assigned by the Netherlands Government to head this DRR mission to the area.

The mission report presented outlined follow up activities on coastal protection and disaster risk reduction measures; water supply and sanitation requirements and an assessment of possible funds and co-operation partners for further implementation of the proposed activities.

For more information, please contact: Sjef IJzermans