Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696586121533.pdf (Vanuatu)
Department of Water Resources (DOWR) Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MOLNR) Newsletter 1st Quarter (Jan, Feb, Mar 2019) 1.

DOWR Planning Retreat The first planning retreat DOWR organized this year was held at the Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta (VKS) conference room.
Having an integrated detailed workplan to guide operations is very crucial to ensure that DOWR delivers its services effectively and based on assessments made on the ground with accurate and reliable information, and this retreat serves this purpose.

DOWR retreat was possible with funding assistance from our MFAT partners with support from UNICEF.

Director Erickson Sammy, leading the team with 2019 business plans and work plans.

SHEFA and TAFEA Provincial Water Supervisors discussing their work plans.
DOWR National team.

PRO | MONITORING & EVALUATION UNIT|3RD QTR|2018 1 Projects & Operations Manager & Monitoring & Evaluation Manager.

Chris Hartnett doing his presentation on safety.

Community Development Officer (DCO) and Technical Services Unit (TSU) Manager, Obed Tabi.

DOWR SANMA team.

Emily and the PENAMA team.

DOWR national team.

2.


DOWR Women Planning Meeting During the DOWR planning retreat, DOWR had its very first women’s meeting conducted at the time with the team of women doing a survey on harassment and discrimination that was felt or observed on occasion or all the time by women in the department.

A list of recommendations was made from these discussions that were later presented to the rest of the DOWR team at the retreat.

This initiative was sponsored by our MFAT partners with support from UNICEF.
3.

Operations Manual training for Isangel water system The newly established Isangel water system needed to upskill the DOWR staff at the TAFEA office with the technical capacity to be able to monitor, evaluate and fix the system should anything disrupt the production of water.

DOWR TAFEA team hard at work at the pump station.

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PRO | MONITORING & EVALUATION UNIT|3RD QTR|2018 2 4.

World Water Day (a) World Water Day & Isangel water System Launching.
This year’s World Water Day international theme is “Leaving No One Behind”.

“Wota hemi Laef” is a simple phrase but timeless in its portrayal of the importance of water to everyone.

Be it rain water tanks, underground wells or water supply systems, are safe for drinking, bathing and for household use.

Water Resources (DOWR) and Vanuatu Agricultural Supplies (VAS) have established a new water supply system for Isangel area.
Australian High Commissioner, Mrs. Jenny Da Rin and the Chairman of the National Recovery Committee (NRC), Johnny Koanapo will be in Tanna to do the officially launching and handover to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Alfred Maoh.

Group photo with the delegation from Port Vila, Tanna and Isangel school.

Official launching of Isangel water system by Hon.

Alfred Maoh & Australian High Comm.

Jenny Da Rin Chairman of Nikoletan, part of the delegation leading in the parade.
Dissemination of Communication Materials World Water Day 2019 and Isangel Water System launching presented the perfect opportunity to disseminate information.

During the day, displays ranged from pictures of active work by DOWR officers, DWWSP and other published handbooks, the digital world of data use with relation to water work to technical displays such as sample water filters.

WWD19 in Tanna was a success because of the exceptional performance of the team on the ground.
Hedley Tau, Database Officer Jenny Namak, TAFEA water Accountant, Clerk PRO | MONITORING & EVALUATION UNIT|3RD QTR|2018 3 Morris Cliff, contracted DWSSP officer Darrel Tangalobani, IT Officer (b) Tagabe River Clean Up.

Organized by the Ridge to Reef project, World Water Day also organized an activity in Port Vila.
Representatives from Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation, Department of Forestry, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Department of Water Resources, UNICEF and tagabe community formed small teams and cleaned along the the banks and inside the Tagabe river.

FIGURE 1: GROUP PHOTO IN FRONT OF DOF AFTER THE CLEAN-UP ACTIVITIES.

5.

AMBAE Recovery Plan coverage.


After the Ambae Volcano devastation, the people of Ambae are slowly in the process of migrating back to their home island, with this intent, DOWR has the responbility to be one at the front of this process to ensure the existing water sources are safe for volcanic ash contamination.

PENAMA Provincial Water Supervisor (PWS) Abraham Tevi sat down with TBV to discuss DOWR’s recovery plan for Ambae.

PWS for PENAMA, Mr Abraham Tevi giving an update on the Ambae recovery plan.
PRO | MONITORING & EVALUATION UNIT|3RD QTR|2018 4 6.

LATANO Community Development Training & Plumbers Training.

Mr Obed Tabi, Technical Services Unit (TCU) Manager and the Abraham Tevi, PENAMA Provincial Water Supervisor (PWS) carried out a training workshop in Latano for two weeks.

With funding from UNICEF and MFAT, the two trainings were made possible.

Conducting a Community Development Training was a first for this community.
In this Training, the communities were made aware of the coming Water Project to their communities and it involved everyone contributing to sketching of maps of the villages that were to be covered by the Project.

The participants were also tasked with Identifying the village resources that the community could use to earn money to sustain the project and transect work.

Transect work involves marking out pipe routes from the source to the storage, and from the storage to the communities and also taps.
This transect work helps the contractors immensely when work commences.

Both trainings were held inside a Nakamal.

TSU Manager conducting plumbers training.

Participants of the training.

Partaking in a hands-on session.

The Plumbers Training ended at 2pm on the 29th of March 2019.

After the Training was finished, a Memorundum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Land Owners and the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
This MOU served the purpose of ensuring the works that would happen for the benefit of the people would not have any land conflicts that could interfere with the supply of water.

Landowners signing.

Government officials signing on behalf of the national and provincial government.

7.

DOWR works towards Vanuatu’s 12th National Games.


PRO | MONITORING & EVALUATION UNIT|3RD QTR|2018 5 Before the 12th National Games were to commence, DOWR TAFEA team headed by Loniel Tari, TAFEA Provincial Water Supervisor (PWS) worked tirelessly with the locals to set up extensions to Lamenu Stadium for the athletes and the general public to have access to the newly launched Isangel Water System which produced safe and clean drinking water.
Locals providing assistance with uncoiling the PVC pipes for the extension.

Working the connections with johnny Yannick, Water Technician.

Water connection successfully working.

PRO | MONITORING & EVALUATION UNIT|3RD QTR|2018 6