FIJI is facing an environmental crisis because of the escalating litter issues, says the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dr Sivendra Michael.
“It’s a crisis because the scale of the issue is growing,” he said.
Dr Michael said the situation had reached a critical point.
“Thousands of tonnes of waste are piling up at our landfill, and it’s only operating at 80 per cent capacity.”
In an interview with this newspaper, he said Fiji only had one landfill, and the remaining waste was managed by council dumpsites or illegal sites, which increased the risk of waste spreading across the country.
“We must be mindful that if these sites are not well managed, then rubbish will end up everywhere else.”
He said the lack of proper waste disposal in informal settlements often let residents resort to dumping rubbish in mangrove areas or on coastlines, posing a significant threat to marine life.
“People in these communities don’t have access to regular waste collection services, and it’s leading to dangerous practices.
“We can’t ignore how waste is impacting our oceans. For instance, the Sigatoka dumpsite is dangerously close to the sea, and this can harm marine ecosystems.”
He said litter was not an issue that could be solved overnight, but actions were being taken to solve the problem.
