An academic at the Australian National University says the Vanuatu government will need review existing development projects to cater for the massive rebuild costs after Cyclone Pam.
Matthew Dornan says official damage estimates for Vanuatu are still being finalised but some guidance can be taken from Samoa's Cyclone Evan in 2012 which saw about 30 percent of that country's GDP in damages.
Mr Dornan say based on these figures, it could cost Vanuatu up to 250 million US dollars to make repairs.
He says Vanuatu doesn't have the money and cannot afford to borrow it while maintaining existing infrastructure projects.
"What I would be recommending is that the government look very carefully at those infrastructure projects particularly the ones that are not so well advanced. And look to either modify them so that they incorporate elements of reconstruction. Or potentially postpone them altogether."