Pacific Islands - Vanuatu

From Don Miller:


This image (August 2006) are vetiver hedges and associated indigenous shrubs planted in Vanuatu in 2000, not long before before the erosion control project
was closed down. The slope is approx 35 degrees and prior to vetiver
being used nothing at all was able to be established on the slopes,
which were releasing high volumes of sediment to the coral reefs
nearby. The parent material is highly weathered volcanic tuff and
breccia which fritters on drying, to be washed off in the next heavy
rain - approximately 100mm depth of material was being lost each year.The circled area is about 1 acre


Much more extensive plantings were carried out on the southern part of
this island but the imagery is not as clear and no details of the rows
are visible.


The Fisheries Department reported improved conditions on the reefs
offshore from where hedges had been established for several years. In
those locations substantial volumes of sediment had been retained and
a near complete cover of indigenous shrubs established on what had
prviously been infertile bare eroding ground..