Vanuatu signs Waste Management Cooperation with Japan

The Minister of Climate Change, Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on March 10, 2026 in Japan with the Hon. Ishihara Hirotaka, Japan’s Minister of Environment.

This is an agreement that covers the areas of decarbonisation, waste management and wastewater treatment.

Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change and Environmental Protection and Conservation was in Japan this week to further the mutual interest, one of which is through the Memorandum of Cooperation.

It is anticipated through this cooperation that projects utilising Japan's latest technologies in areas such as decarbonisation, waste management, and wastewater treatment will be further advanced to help resolve Vanuatu's environmental challenges.

The areas of the cooperation under this Memorandum cover mutual interests in climate change mitigation and development of adaptation and mitigation mechanisms;  environmental management including water quality management; sustainable waste management and resource efficiency,  including hazardous and toxic industrial waste; and conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and management of protected areas;

Other areas of the cooperation may be mutually decided by the Sides in the Cooperation.

These would be undertaken through exchange of information on best practices and environmental policies, research and development and available technologies as well exchange of visits involving experts and delegations from relevant institutions and authorities.