Environment
Vanuatu
Climate
tropical; influenced by southeast trade winds from May through October; moderate precipitation from November to April; potential impact from cyclones between December and April
Land use
other
9.8% (2023 est.)
forest
74.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
15.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 1.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 10.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
26% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
2.55% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
70,200 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
52.9% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
water contamination; restricted access to drinking water; insufficient sanitation; loss of forest cover
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
292,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
292,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
10 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements