# Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC) ## OVERVIEW ### RISK PROFILE Vanuatu's risk profile is dominated by extreme exposure to climate-related and geophysical hazards, compounded by geographic isolation and limited economic diversification. As a small island developing state, Vanuatu is highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, and is frequently affected by disasters that disrupt livelihoods, damage infrastructure and strain public finances. The scale of this exposure is stark: Cyclone Pam caused an estimated USD 450 million in damage in 2015 alone (64% of GDP in a single event) and the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck Port Vila in December 2024 caused a further USD 197 million in damage, equivalent to 17% of GDP, pushing more than 2,150 people into poverty. Climate change is intensifying these risks, with increasing temperatures and more frequent and severe extreme weather events posing growing threats to communities, agriculture and economic development. The Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC) is the CBI Member Network in Vanuatu. [VBRC](https://www.vbrc.vu/) is a registered charitable organization under the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission and is a standing committee of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). They were established to coordinate and strengthen the engagement of the private sector in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery, and climate change adaptation and mitigation in Vanuatu. VBRC was launched in October 2017 in coordination with the Ministry of Climate Change and through the support of CBI, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). VBRC sits as the official private sector observer on the [National Advisory Board (NAB) on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction](https://www.nab.vu/) of the Government of Vanuatu. VBRC is also included in the NAB’s Climate Finance Working Group and Project Screening Committee and also sits on the Vanuatu Climate Action Network’s (VCAN) Climate Finance Working Group to improve collaboration with civil society. These mechanisms allow VBRC to engage in relevant opportunities for public-private partnerships in climate action and disaster risk reduction. VBRC works closely with the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Authority and is part of the government’s logistics cluster. Since its establishment in 2017, VBRC has been engaged in several projects and partnerships such as: - Supporting women-led businesses through [the Phoenix Women in Business programme](/women-led-businesses-lead-stronger-recovery-vanuatu/) through which women business owners have been equipped to grow their businesses and impulse positive social change in their communities; - Helping local private sector actors through the Green Climate Fund Readiness Project to enhance access to climate finance through tailored information dissemination, project preparation trainings, and resilience building activities; - Organizing business continuity preparedness capacity building for local businesses. As part of its ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VBRC mobilized the local private sector to support the government’s vaccination campaign by organizing vaccination parties and providing food and cash voucher incentives for people to get vaccinated. In collaboration with VCCI, VBRC also developed short videos, podcasts and other multimedia content to raise awareness on the importance of vaccination. The two organizations encouraged local businesses to adopt safe business protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by sharing tools and advice. To help communities recover from the severe economic impacts of the pandemic and the destruction brought by Tropical Cyclone Harold in 2020, VBRC led the implementation of two recovery programmes. First, the Phoenix Women in Business programme offered coaching sessions, mentoring, business skills coaching and leadership skills development to women business owners. It was done in partnership with UN Women Pacific, the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund and several civil society organizations. Second, VBRC also extended the implementation of its Unblocked Cash Programme, a recovery project using blockchain technology in partnership with Oxfam. The programme targeted communities affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold and vulnerable groups such as widows and people living with disabilities. VBRC organized business continuity planning for small businesses ahead of the cyclone season, participated in simulation exercises on COVID-19 with the local government and facilitated a training programme for small businesses on e-banking on the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in October. VBRC also led training initiatives for the government and civil society leaders in Fiji, Palau and Tonga on business continuity planning, with support from UNDP and the International Labour Organization, Finally, VBRC partnered with the Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation to co-host the Melanesian Sub-Regional Private Sector Workshop on Climate Finance. This was the first collaboration of its kind between the government and Vanuatu’s private sector in terms of climate financing. *Cover photo: VBRC/Groovy Banana* Show More Show Less ## Network at a glance Host organization Registered charitable organization (Vanuatu Financial Services Commission); originally a standing committee of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Headquarters Port Vila, Vanuatu Number of members 5800+ members Scale / Business reach National Contact person Eliu Luen Contact email reception@vcci.vu Areas of focus Earthquake, Extreme weather, Tropical cyclone, Tsunami, Volcanic activity ## Most recent emergencies - Earthquake - Vanuatu ### Vanuatu Earthquake December 2024 December 2024 15 SEP 2026 9:56 pm [Read more about Vanuatu Earthquake December 2024](https://connectingbusiness.org/our-impact/vanuatu-earthquake-december-2024/) - Cyclone - Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu ### Tropical Cyclone Harold April 2020 April 2020 15 SEP 2026 9:49 pm [Read more about Tropical Cyclone Harold April 2020](https://connectingbusiness.org/our-impact/tropical-cyclone-harold-2020/) ## put the human back in humanitarian action https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnZ_JHZAijI ### Patricia Mallam Vice-Chair, Fiji Business Disaster Resilience Council (FBDRC) ## **l**atest from Vanuatu News Publications Case Studies Events ![Building a better future: Good practices from Vanuatu for business engagement in disaster management](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cover-for-vanuatu-1-690x515.jpg) News December 18, 2023 ### Building a better future: Good practices from Vanuatu for business engagement in disaster management Pacific islands such as Vanuatu are on the forefront of climate action, investing in climate change adaption and disaster resilience as they deal with… [Building a better future: Good practices from Vanuatu for business engagement in disaster management](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/building-better-future-good-practices-vanuatu-business-engagement-disaster/) ![An Interview with Business Leader and Climate Activist Glen Craig from Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Glen-0804-1-690x515.jpg) News August 4, 2023 ### An Interview with Business Leader and Climate Activist Glen Craig from Vanuatu Recently, Glen Craig, Chairperson of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC) – a CBI Member Network – was presented with the Vanuatu Presidential 2023… [An Interview with Business Leader and Climate Activist Glen Craig from Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/interview-glen-craig-vanuatu/) ![Local businesses on the frontline of a late COVID wave in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/275975188_272407838395908_4782916695883721233_n-1-690x515.jpg) News March 31, 2022 ### Local businesses on the frontline of a late COVID wave in Vanuatu Geneva and Port Vila – Vanuatu, one of the last countries in the world to experience COVID-19 community transmissions, is on high alert since the… [Local businesses on the frontline of a late COVID wave in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/local-businesses-frontline-late-covid-wave-vanuatu/) ![The private sector on the frontline of the climate crisis: How localization is key to disaster response in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/video-still-200-1-690x515.jpg) News October 18, 2021 ### The private sector on the frontline of the climate crisis: How localization is key to disaster response in Vanuatu The climate crisis is global, but its impact on lives and livelihoods are felt unequally. Vanuatu is ranked as the country with the highest disaster risk in the world, and… [The private sector on the frontline of the climate crisis: How localization is key to disaster response in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/private-sector-frontline-climate-crisis-how-localization-key-disaster-response/) ![Vanuatu pioneers digital cash as disaster relief](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2048-1-690x423.jpg) News May 28, 2021 ### Vanuatu pioneers digital cash as disaster relief The most at-risk country on earth to natural disasters, Vanuatu has endured two major volcanic eruptions and two category five cyclones in the past half-decade, affecting… [Vanuatu pioneers digital cash as disaster relief](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/vanuatu-pioneers-digital-cash-disaster-relief/) ![COVID-19 and Localization](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/VBRC-UnblockedCashTransaction-web-3-1-690x515.jpg) News May 28, 2021 ### COVID-19 and Localization Local actors are critical both as first responders in a crisis and the providers of long-term support. Since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016,… [COVID-19 and Localization](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/covid-19-and-localization/) ![Technology revolution for rural shopkeepers](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1_s5tgCX9YwdCdqxb4mxX8vQ-1-690x515.jpeg) News May 28, 2021 ### Technology revolution for rural shopkeepers Beyond a humanitarian support mechanism, the UnBlocked Cash is generating a market multiplier effect for local businesses, becoming a localized market stimulus for recovering… [Technology revolution for rural shopkeepers](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/technology-revolution-rural-shopkeepers/) ![Cargo restrictions hamper Vanuatu cyclone recovery](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/eight_col_Aiport_vanuatu_offload-1-690x450.jpg) News May 28, 2021 ### Cargo restrictions hamper Vanuatu cyclone recovery In Vanuatu’s north, whole villages still lie devastated three weeks after Cyclone Harold tore through on that terrifying Monday, 6 April. In some villages,… [Cargo restrictions hamper Vanuatu cyclone recovery](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/cargo-restrictions-hamper-vanuatu-cyclone-recovery/) ![Coronavirus lockdown hobbles Vanuatu cyclone recovery effort](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/c9c54b03bee34be4ac3a2dd52a3fd5bb_18-1-690x450.jpg) News May 28, 2021 ### Coronavirus lockdown hobbles Vanuatu cyclone recovery effort It has been more than a month since Cyclone Harold tore through several countries in the South Pacific, with Vanuatu bearing the brunt of… [Coronavirus lockdown hobbles Vanuatu cyclone recovery effort](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/coronavirus-lockdown-hobbles-vanuatu-cyclone-recovery-effort/) ![Leading The Way Globally — Vanuatu Business Resilience Council Partners With Oxfam to Implement Unblocked Cash Response in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-30-at-9.23.34-AM-1-690x515.jpeg) News May 28, 2021 ### Leading The Way Globally — Vanuatu Business Resilience Council Partners With Oxfam to Implement Unblocked Cash Response in Vanuatu The compounding impacts of COVID-19 restrictions and Tropical Cyclone Harold in Vanuatu, spanning from March until today has resulted in a significant reduction in income… [Leading The Way Globally — Vanuatu Business Resilience Council Partners With Oxfam to Implement Unblocked Cash Response in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/leading-way-globally-vanuatu-business-resilience-council-partners-oxfam-implement/) ![A “Small Islands, Big Voices”: Vanuatu’s Historic Victory for Climate Justice](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/0804_2-1.jpg) News August 4, 2025 ### A “Small Islands, Big Voices”: Vanuatu’s Historic Victory for Climate Justice It was a moment years in the making, and yet, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) finally delivered its historic advisory opinion on… [A “Small Islands, Big Voices”: Vanuatu’s Historic Victory for Climate Justice](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/vanuatus-climate-justice/) ![Rebuilding hope – how Vanuatu’s Private Sector is leading earthquake recovery](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20241219-Search_and_Rescue_PortVilaCBD-print-1-scaled-1-690x515.jpg) News January 2, 2025 ### Rebuilding hope – how Vanuatu’s Private Sector is leading earthquake recovery When the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Port Vila on December 17, 2024, it left devastation in its wake—14 lives lost, over 265 injured,… [Rebuilding hope – how Vanuatu’s Private Sector is leading earthquake recovery](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/vanuatu-earthquake-business-response/) ![Public Private Partnerships Amplify Pacific Small Island Climate Diplomacy](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/0630-cover-1.jpg) News June 30, 2025 ### Public Private Partnerships Amplify Pacific Small Island Climate Diplomacy Vanuatu has unfortunately emerged as a poster child for the adverse impacts of climate change. It has been ranked over and over as one… [Public Private Partnerships Amplify Pacific Small Island Climate Diplomacy](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/climate-finance-vanuatu/) CBI publications December 9, 2022 ### The Unblocked Cash Experience in Vanuatu This report provides details of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council’s (VBRC) role and approach to supporting the businesses in the Oxfam UnBlocked Cash humanitarian programme in 2020-2021 in Vanuatu. … [The Unblocked Cash Experience in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/unblocked-cash-experience-vanuatu/) Case Study December 18, 2023 ### Case study from Vanuatu: Best practices in risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery The Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC) was created in 2017, two years after Category 5 Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu and caused widespread devastation. Since… [Case study from Vanuatu: Best practices in risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/case-studies/case-study-from-vanuatu-best-practices-in-risk-reduction-emergency-preparedness-response-and-recovery/) Case Study July 8, 2026 ### From Vaults to Villages: How Banks Build Financial Resilience in Crisis Response [From Vaults to Villages: How Banks Build Financial Resilience in Crisis Response](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/case-studies/from-vaults-to-villages-how-banks-build-financial-resilience-in-crisis-response/from-vaults-to-villages-how-banks-build-financial-resilience-in-crisis-respon/) ![Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Unblocked-Photo3-Manwithfish-1-690x445.jpg) Event September 19, 2024 ### Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024 In the context of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024, CBI is partnering with a number of other organizations to… October 14, 2024 [Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024](https://connectingbusiness.org/events/apmcdrr-2024/) ![Women-Led Businesses Lead a Stronger Recovery in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1647852079078-1-690x515.jpg) News October 18, 2021 ### Women-Led Businesses Lead a Stronger Recovery in Vanuatu Recovering better by supporting women-led businesses The Vanuatu Resilience Business Council (VBRC), a Connecting Business initiative Member Network, decided to work with women business… [Women-Led Businesses Lead a Stronger Recovery in Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/women-led-businesses-lead-stronger-recovery-vanuatu/) ![Vanuatu and Climate Change: How The Most At-risk Country in the World Addresses the Challenge](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Vanuatu-Glen-Craig-image-65535405_1381804058624460_504594834065981440_n-1.jpeg) News February 16, 2022 ### Vanuatu and Climate Change: How The Most At-risk Country in the World Addresses the Challenge Vanuatu rarely makes the headlines. Can you even locate us on a map? Yet, the world should pay attention, because we have a head… [Vanuatu and Climate Change: How The Most At-risk Country in the World Addresses the Challenge](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/vanuatu-and-climate-change-how-most-risk-country-world-addresses-challenge/) ![Championing early warning and action: How the private sector addresses extreme weather events](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/PDRF-BEOC-1-690x515.jpg) News April 12, 2022 ### Championing early warning and action: How the private sector addresses extreme weather events At the Connecting Business initiative, we work with businesses in many of the countries that are most exposed and vulnerable to the impacts of… [Championing early warning and action: How the private sector addresses extreme weather events](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/early-warning-private-sector/) ![Local businesses in Vanuatu respond to Vanuatu twin cyclones](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Tropical-Cyclones-Judy-and-Kevin-1-690x515.jpeg) News March 29, 2023 ### Local businesses in Vanuatu respond to Vanuatu twin cyclones The Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC) is supporting the emergency response to the twin cyclones that have hit Vanuatu earlier this month. The private… [Local businesses in Vanuatu respond to Vanuatu twin cyclones](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/local-businesses-respond-vanuatu-twin-cyclones/) ![Innovation in disaster management: The power of tech and business to foster resilience](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/UNDP-DRC-2017_drone_children-scaled-1-690x515.jpg) News March 28, 2024 ### Innovation in disaster management: The power of tech and business to foster resilience According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, businesses are the most trusted entity to integrate innovations into society. This dovetails with some of the findings of… [Innovation in disaster management: The power of tech and business to foster resilience](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/innovation-disaster-management-report/) ![COP29: What’s at Stake for Businesses in Pacific Small Island Developing States?](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/bill-fairs-RSKO-I3V6hk-unsplash-scaled-1-690x515.jpg) News October 24, 2024 ### COP29: What’s at Stake for Businesses in Pacific Small Island Developing States? The outcomes of COP29 will shape the ability of businesses and private sector actors in Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) to operate sustainably… [COP29: What’s at Stake for Businesses in Pacific Small Island Developing States?](https://connectingbusiness.org/news/cop29-impact-small-business/) ![Bridging Science and Business Solutions to Foster Disaster Resilience](https://connectingbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Unblocked-Photo3-Manwithfish-1-690x445.jpg) News November 7, 2024 ### Bridging Science and Business Solutions to Foster Disaster Resilience Co-authored by Dr. Mona Chhabra Anand, Asia Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC); Firzam “Hush” Hashim, Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD); Silvestre Z. 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CBI supported… [CBI Progress Report 2020](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/cbi-progress-report-2020/) CBI publications May 28, 2021 ### Gender, Disaster Management and the Private Sector This Connecting Business initiative (CBI) report presents the importance of gender in private sector and disaster management, as well as the interconnections between these… [Gender, Disaster Management and the Private Sector](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/gender-disaster-management-and-private-sector/) CBI publications May 28, 2021 ### Brochure: CBI COVID-19 response CBI has been and is still working closely with the UN system, private sector networks and the broader business community to address the COVID-19… [Brochure: CBI COVID-19 response](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/brochure-cbi-covid-19-response/) CBI publications May 28, 2021 ### CBI Progress Report 2019 CBI Progress Report 2019 provides an overview of the achievements of CBI in 2019 as well as the results of the CBI Annual Survey.… [CBI Progress Report 2019](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/cbi-progress-report-2019/) Report May 28, 2021 ### CBI Progress Report 2018 It has been almost three years since CBI was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit. 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Whereas feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,… [CBI Progress Report 2017](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/cbi-progress-report-2017/) Briefing June 25, 2021 ### Business Network Brief – Vanuatu On 6 April 2020, Vanuatu was hit by a category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold with sustained winds of more than 200 km/h, while the… [Business Network Brief – Vanuatu](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/business-network-brief-vanuatu/) CBI publications June 25, 2021 ### Situational Reports for COVID-19 activities in CBI Member Network countries The Situational Reports (SitReps) for COVID-19 present a brief overview of key figures such as the status of COVID-19 cases as well as the… [Situational Reports for COVID-19 activities in CBI Member Network countries](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/situational-reports-covid-19-activities-cbi-member-network-countries/) CBI publications December 18, 2023 ### Quick planning guides in preparedness, response and recovery This guide is designed to highlight how a business resilience organization in the Pacific, the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC), has integrated itself into… [Quick planning guides in preparedness, response and recovery](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/quick-planning-guides-preparedness-response-and-recovery/) CBI publications December 18, 2023 ### Quick guide on network engagement and coordination with humanitarian actors This guide is designed to highlight how a business resilience organization in the Pacific, the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC), has integrated itself into… [Quick guide on network engagement and coordination with humanitarian actors](https://connectingbusiness.org/knowledge-hub/publications/quick-guide-network-engagement-and-coordination-humanitarian-actors/) View more View more