VCAP 2 Project Installing 6 Automatic Weather Stations and 6 Automatic River Gauges
Two contracts were signed on Friday February 2, 2024 by the Hon. Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu on behalf of the Ministry of Climate Change (the Purchaser), with Campbell Scientific Australia, the Supplier for delivery and installation of six Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and six Automatic River Gauges (ARG) on seven islands of Vanuatu.
The contracts signing, partly done via Zoom with suppliers in Australia, was made possible through the Vanuatu Coastal Adaptation 2 Project (VCAP 2), with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Automatic River Gauges will be installed in six (6) islands in three provinces of Vanuatu and they include Pankumu river at South Malekula in Malampa Province, Sarakata river in Luganville - Santo and Navaka river at South Santo in Sanma Province, Prima river, Teouma river and Rentapao river in Shefa Province.
Automatic River Gauges are flood detection units that monitor river water levels on the rivers where they are installed as part of the early warning system to provide real-time information, administered under the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department.
Specifically, the Six (6) Automatic Weather Stations will be installed at Hiu in Torres at Torba Province, North Maewo airport in Penama Province, Port Olry at East Santo and Wusi at West Coast Santo in Sanma Province, Port Quimie at South Epi in Shefa Province, Ipota at North Erromango in Tafea Province.
The duration for completing these contracts is nine (9) months and this will be supervised under the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department.
The Acting Director of the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department, Mr Fred Jockley, expressed appreciation to the VCAP 2 for another milestone for Vanuatu’s early warning systems. “As Acting Director of VMGD, I thank the donors, in particular GEF and UNDP for continuing to help the Vanuatu Government, through the Ministry of Climate, via the Department of Climate Change and the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department,” he said.