FIJI’S battle against litter and poor waste management will require more than individual action, with stronger enforcement and collective responsibility needed to bring about lasting change, says Ministry of Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Sivendra Michael.
Speaking at the launch of the clean-up campaign at Suva Point yesterday to mark World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, Dr Michael said while there were many solutions available to address the country’s waste challenges, their success depended on public support and cooperation.
“There is a plethora of solutions that are out there in terms of addressing the waste management crisis that we are facing, but it not only requires individual action, it requires collective effort,” he said.
“We need to get together behind these initiatives to try and promote it.”
Dr Michael said the ministry was also working to address gaps in enforcement and compliance through stronger regulations and amendments to existing laws.
“At the back of it as well is a lot of gaps in enforcement and compliance which we are also trying to strengthen through regulations, through amendments to our laws.”
However, he stressed that legislation alone would not solve the problem.
“We need manpower, we need enforcement officers that are able to take their role seriously. You see someone throwing the rubbish, you can stop those vehicles and issue them the fines. It will also deter them from cultivating such culture of littering.”
Dr Michael warned that failure to act would leave future generations with the consequences of environmental neglect.
“This is the kind of Fiji that our children and the future generation will inherit if we don’t do something about it.”
