Fiji’s Minister for Waterways Dr Mahendra Reddy says natural resources that were seen to protect us are now becoming a threat to our livelihood.
In Nadi yesterday, the minister informed Legalega residents that communities are now struggling to protect their livelihoods as the lives of those living along coastal areas and river banks are threatened.
“If we don’t put our guards up and we don’t build resilience, then their existence could be threatened,” Dr Reddy said at the commissioning of the third vetiver grass nursery at the Legalega Research Station.
“We are taking a proactive stand in terms of protecting our natural resources, building resilience amongst our natural resources and expanding the existing stock of natural resources. We have established a number of biodiversity parks which we want to expand further and this project is to expand the existing stock of natural resources.”
Dr Reddy said the establishment of vetiver grass nursery in the three major divisions would contribute a lot to the construction of a number of nature-based sea wall projects.
The ministry has constructed five nature-based sea walls in the North and nine in Nausori.
