The Melanesian Volcano Network (MVN) was established to reduce volcanic risk and impact in Melanesia. The Network has developed a framework for the exchange and sharing of volcanological resources amongst Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, on a sub-regional basis. It aims to achieve this through:

1. The exchange and sharing of personnel, information, expertise, volcano-monitoring equipment, experiences and ideas, particularly at times of volcanic crisis.

2. Cooperation in the development of the vital groundwork needed to help ‘at risk’ communities in the three countries become more aware of volcanic hazards and, in partnership with the communities, to devise ways of coping with the threat. 

3. The concept is restricted at present to volcanic risk, and to only three countries, but the lessons learnt could be used for expansion to include other geohazards such as earthquakes, tsunami, and landslides, and to include other countries — or other regions — in the South West Pacific.

Since inception, Solomon Islands has made progress through the joint efforts of national observatories, donors such as NZAID, EU/DIPECHO and partners such as the national Red Cross Societies and SOPAC.  Successes of the MVN so far for Solomon Islands include:

• Deployment of the Vanuatu Volcano Observatory technicians to Solomon Islands to install a volcano seismograph station on Savo followed by a maintenance visit in early 2012; and
• The participation of two Solomon Islands volcano monitoring technicians in the installation of a seismograph and remote camera at Yasur volcano on Tanna for near real time monitoring.
• Information sharing through technical meetings e.g. 2012 in Vanuatu. Evaluate MVN exchange programmes, challenges and forward planning for MVN
• Solomon Island Government support from Volcanologists from Vanuatu Geo-hazards unit to conducting a seismic needs assessment in Solomon Islands in 2013.

The meeting shared experiences and challenges in the establishment of the Vanuatu and Solomon Islands volcanological observatories as well as the progress made in collaborating with NDMOs and community based organisations such as national Red Cross Societies. Participants also noted the challenges of ongoing maintenance beyond the lifetime of projects and shared the successes of how collaboration and information sharing has strengthened early warning systems.

The MVN requires sustained investment as well as collaborations with national governments, regional and international communities, professional societies, private sector and research institutes to successfully transfer disaster reduction science and technology into common use.