With a diverse international social-innovation team member, our group suggested the use of Vetiver System for the people in Vanuatu. The ni-Vanuatu is a vulnerable group in the society as they face many tropical cyclones that threaten their livelihood. The ni-Vanuatu people experienced environmental degradation since cyclone Pam hit in March 2015. The Cyclone Pam devastated their country and has to rely on foreign aid to supply ni-Vanuatu with drinking water, food and shelter.

Vetiver grass is a tropical grass which has medicinal effects, prevents soil erosion, purifies contaminated areas and used for crafts. It is a multi-use plant. It can be used to filter heavy metals and chemicals out of contaminated areas. It can be directly planted contaminated land, unfertile land, contaminated land or bare sloppy areas. Additional soil amendments like fertilizers can boost the growth the growth of vetiver. Besides, vetiver pontoon can be created using either bamboos and recycled plastic bottles or other high buoyancy materials in order to apply on contaminated fresh water sources.

Most of the known applications of the Vetiver System could be applied by communities using community labour, hence indirectly creating job opportunities for local peoples and increase their living earning income. The vetiver system is feasible and does work in other countries. It will provide protection against soil erosion, rehabilitate wasted land, increase crop yields, improve ground water supplies and the quality of water, shelter basic infrastructure, and treat domestic or animal sewage.

The Vetiver System will reduce soil loss from farm land by as much as 90% and will reduce rainfall runoff by as much as 70%, thus significantly increasing the effective rainfall available to crops. As the grass matures the roots stabilise the ground. Groundwater is recharged to the extent that ephemeral streams flow longer and stronger, wetlands are rejuvenated, wild life habitat is improved and soil fertility improves - resulting in increased crop yields that have been measured as much as 40%.

Vetiver will help to control damage made by cyclones as well as offering a potential resource to capitalise on. The vetiver can be an agent of change in order to help Tanna islanders because their remoteness makes them vulnerable to natural disasters. The Vetiver system will provide the community a long term protection of its assets as it provides forage, thatch, mulch, protection against insects, rudimentary medicines, materials for handicrafts and many other benefits.

Traditionally ni-Vanuatu use grass to weave mats and bags, Tanna islanders can use this grass to create goods which can encourage trade in the cash economy. Handicrafts can be made by both of the collected Vetiver roots and foliage into shoes, hats, belts and many more after the initial harvesting process. Vetiver can be used as for rural and urban landscaping including beautification, traffic dividers, demarcation of walkways.

The feasibility studies of vetiver was thoroughly observed in El Salvador with which it has provided damage protection from Hurricane Mitch in 1998 in Madagascar vetiver was used against annual cyclone damage that previously shut down railways annually for months on end the protection of sea dikes in Vietnam against the worst typhoons in 50 years and the stabilization of highways in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam against slippage due to tropical rainfall events.

Reported by:

Chuck Chuan Ng (Malaysia), Mckeown, R. (New Zealand), Entwistle. E (Australia), Rita, A (Nigeria), Islam, M.R. (Bangladesh) and Xue, S. (Hong Kong) which also received the honorable Victoria Business School Highly Commended Team Award in the recent 2015 Global Enterprise Experience

Photo credit: www.nezzanaturals.com