Our Aims
VESS’s purpose is to promote science in the fields of conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development within Vanuatu.
There are 3 strands to our aims:
- To collect and collate the scientific information about the environment of Vanuatu which is already in existence
- Secondly to perform scientific studies whilst promoting and mentoring Ni-Vanuatu scientists and science students.
- Thirdly to ensure that this scientific information we have obtained is shared as widely as possible within Vanuatu so the entire community can make informed choices which allows them to live harmoniously with their environment.
Our Vision
We have a vision of a body of home grown scientists working at a national and international level, contributing to the local and global knowledge base of natural science.
We hope to inspire the whole population to become more knowledgeable about their natural surroundings with a deeper understanding of how mother earth helps us.
Why VESS believes conservation is important in Vanuatu
- Many people rely on natural resources for nutrition and livelihood.
- Vanuatu lies within the East Melanesian Hotspot for Biodiversity
- According to IUCN red list of threatened species, Vanuatu is home to 378 animals and plants that are either critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or near threatened.
- Vanuatu is a signatory to several international and regional treaties and therefore has an obligation to conserve biodiversity
Why VESS Believes Science is important for Conservation
- The definition of Science: The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment
- Science gives us knowledge to make good decisions.
- Science gives us a tool to check to see if what we are doing is working.