TASI-VANUA RESOURCE CENTRE AND INNOVATIVE FUNDING MECHANISMS

The Tasi Vanua Environmental Education and Resource Centre was established by RESCCUE in Emua village in North Efate. It is intended to be the central hub for the North Efate Tasi Vanua Environment Network, to support its members in organising and coordinating conservation activities and to serve as an environmental education and tourism information venue for North Efate.

Another achievement of the project was the establishment of the   North  Efate  Conservation  Trust, following a feasibility study of innovative funding mechanisms to provide sustainable income stream for  ICM  activities  in North Efate.

This trust is a partnership between the Tasi Vanua and Nguna Pele Environment Networks, the Shefa Tourism Council and Live and Learn Vanuatu, who signed a Deed to work together to deliver ICM activities identified in a conservation priorities action plan and a business plan. The source of on-going funding is a voluntary 10% conservation levy on accommodation and tourism activities that the North Efate and Nguna Pele and Emao Tourism Associations will collect from their members. The planned revenues from the 10% levy is estimated at about EUR 8,000 per year.

RESCCUE provided EUR 90,000 of seed funding to the Trust, which will be used over the next four years. This allows to start collecting the levy and managing the fund, while conducting tangible activities to demonstrate tourists what their contributions is used for. Planned activities include the installation of tabu area signboards, yacht moorings to protect the reef from anchor damage, coral replanting and marine monitoring activities. A series of conservation stories were published in a tourist booklet to showcase the conservation impact the Trust is having.

The viability and success of the North Efate Conservation Trust lies in the hands of the Trust parties, who now have a major responsibility to ensure the continuous implementation of conservation activities and collection of the tourism levy.