Vanuatu, a collection of over 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean in Oceania, is a stark example of how fluctuating climate patterns have real-life impacts.

What's happening?

According to Climate Change News, due to geography and scattered coastal populations, Vanuatu has been repeatedly labeled as "the world's most vulnerable country to climate risks and natural disasters" by the World Risk Index.

With the islands in close proximity to intense volcanic and earthquake activity, they are a haven for cyclones. Across the world, cyclones can be seen posing an even greater threat than they have historically, due to the changing climate supercharging natural disasters.

Environmental experts and locals alike are working on addressing the risks posed to Vanuatu citizens and implementing adaptation techniques to move forward. Espiritu Santo, the country's largest island, has an ongoing, grant-funded project with the aim of restoring ecosystems, addressing food insecurity, and preparing the area for natural disasters.

Why are the climate issues in Vanuatu concerning?

"Rising sea levels are damaging the coastal zones and eroding valuable local resources that people depend upon to support their livelihoods," Joses Togase, a project manager at an Indigenous environmental group in Espiritu Santo, told Climate Change News. 

While natural disasters, like two Category 5 cyclones in one week in 2023, have devastated the area, the project in Espiritu Santo aims to add early warning systems, powered by satellite.

Elsewhere in the world, similar struggles to those of Vanuatu can be seen at varying levels. Droughts in Africa are linked to increased starvation, while record temperatures in 2025 have led to heatwaves, resulting similarly in decreased food supplies, as well as wildfires.

While some unpredictable weather is normal, excessive or intense weather events point to a bigger issue. Rising global temperatures, due to toxic pollution, are largely attributed to human activity and contribute to the imbalanced weather worldwide.

What's being done about extreme weather in Vanuatu?

Joses Togase told Climate Change News that the preventative intervention by the project in Espiritu Santo has led to "increased understanding and realisation among the local people to become more conscious and alert."

While actually achieving a stronghold on natural disasters related to rising temperatures will require a massive reduction in the burning of dirty fuels, like gas or coal, there are small steps individuals can take.

Exploring critical climate issues can help you become informed about how natural disasters affect you or your area in unexpected ways. Furthermore, by integrating clean energy sources into your life, such as solar panels, you can take a small step away from dirty energy.

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