The Vanuatu National Water Policy is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The timeframe of the Policy is 13 years between 2017 and 2030. The objective of the Vanuatu National Water Policy is to strengthen the accountability of the institutions necessary to secure a safe and sufficient, accessible and affordable, reliable and sustainable source of water for all.
The establishment of Rural Water Committees as legal not-for-profit entities with the ability to own water assets and the associated liabilities will be supported by the Government and NGOs. One of the goal of the Policy is a greater representation of women in rural water committees and greater involvement of women in the management of schemes being associated with higher levels of functionality.
Water safety and security will be ensured through the extension of drinking water safety and security planning to all drinking water asset owners, expansion of access to drinking water testing and treatment services and strengthened water resource data management to identify priority areas to invest in the diversification, storage and regulation of water resources. Importance will be given to store sufficient rain, surface and ground water to improve Vanuatu s future water and power security. Water supply markets will be developed to ensure access to higher quality drinking water products. Rules for water, sanitation & hygiene infrastructure and services will be developed to strengthen the strong association of water safety, with spatial planning and infrastructure safety, with sanitation and hygiene practices, and with improved health outcomes. In order to prevent the overexploitation of the quality and quantity of water, a two-step permit system will be strengthened including a permit to undertake works to access water resources and a license to use water resources. In addition to that, waterworks permit and licensing processes will be linked to the inventory to facilitate the flow of information with Rural Water Committees. The ownership, or lease, or easement rights of any new land that will host public water assets will be registered on the land title deed.
Measures will be taken against the vulnerability to disasters that significantly impacts the safety and security of water through strengthened risk management, improved disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and low carbon development. Awareness will be raised to improve the protection of water supplies, strengthen response in coordination with other sectors and partners through improved data management, and improve recovery through lesson learning and sharing knowledge.
The Department of Water Resources shall be responsible for the evaluation of this Policy in coordination with the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health will draft a Sanitation and Hygiene Policy and moreover Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Infrastructure and Services By-laws will be drafted with the support of the National and Provincial Water Resources Advisory Committees. Furthermore, Provincial Water Resources Advisory Committees will be supported to amend the model water by-laws to reflect the local context for consideration by the Provincial and Municipal Councils.