Trees blown over by cyclone Pam on Tanna island in Vanuatu are being milled for building materials, furniture, kids chairs and building blocks for kindergartens.
The initiative is part of a United Nations Development Programme project with the NGO, Camp Shining Light, which is working to train locals to operate two portable sawmills on the island.
A UNDP project analyst Donald Wouloseje says as well as providing material benefits the project hopes to educate rural communities.
"Normally during such period of time we do slash and burn where all the trees are all burnt but now everybody can be more concious about the environment and also in such situation mostly we can take something that has already been damaged and turn it into something more useful."
Donald Wouloseje says logistical constraints mean the project is confined to Tanna, but they are looking to possibly move one of the sawmills to the Shepherd Islands in the north.
A portable saw mill being used on Tanna in Vanuatu to make lumber from trees blown over by cyclone Pam in March 2015. Photo: RNZI Courtesy of UNDP Vanuatu
