Extreme weather conditions in Vanuatu attributed to a recent climate-related El Niño event have damaged crops, threatening the country's food security and the livelihoods of its subsistence farmers.

That was the overwhelming response heard from the Building Our Loss and Damage Response Project consultation this month.

The accounts from affected Ni-Vanuatu communities blamed the extreme heat an ensuing drought, alongside cyclones, flooding, rising sea levels and coastal inundation affecting arable land in Eratap and Teouma on Efate Island; key suppliers of fresh market produce to Noumea, Vanuatu's capital.

Climate-related events threatening food supplies have become more frequent and more severe, disrupting planting and harvesting seasons while making it harder to maintain reliable food production.

A significant portion of Vanuatu's population of around 340,000 relies on subsistence agriculture, leaving the sector highly exposed to climate change and natural hazards.

While taro varieties of root vegetables, may survive extreme weather, manioc, a staple food traditionally used Ni-Vanuatu cooking, will not survive.

Participants in the project consultation talked about food shortages amid cyclones that followed a ban on selling produce at markets, which was imposed to ensure adequate food supplies remained for vulnerable families. However, that ban also reduced livelihoods and incomes.

This follows the World Meteorological Organisation's Pacific Regional Climate Centre declaring an El Niño event in June.

For countries in eastern and central Pacific regions, El Niño delivered an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall and potential drought conditions, which adds stress to crop production.

Communities said the frequency of extreme events leaves little time to restore gardens, replace lost crops, and return to normal production levels before the next event.

The impact of flooding on the Teouma River Basin has heavily eroded its riverbanks, a site visit also revealed.

A significant portion of Teouma Beach, once used for gardens and farming, has also been lost to extreme weather, sea-level rises and coastal inundation, placing further strain on livelihoods.

The project consultation put forward potential mitigation measures.

"Growing two or more crops in the gardens can reduce the risk to climate events," Eratap Chief Kenneth Alban told the consultation following a site visit to his upland gardens.

"During drought or cyclones, mixed cropping can reduce losing everything at once.

"If one crop is damaged or dies, another may survive and continue to provide food and income."

He also emphasised the importance of building knowledge about effective responses.

"This consultation has been a good opportunity for our community to learn about climate change," Chief Alban said.

"We are continuing to see the impacts and it's important for us to know how to respond to the changes."