A WORKSHOP for resource owners and Government stakeholders to discuss the status of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) activities and their impact on the population and environment of the Emalu, Navosa, communities is underway in Nadi.
Based on the outcome of the discussions, the REDD+ Unit will review its activity plan for this year.
The Emalu project is the first national REDD+ pilot project in Fiji.
Located on Viti Levu in the Navosa province, it covers an area of 7347 hectares of lowland, upland and cloud forest.
The forest area is largely untouched and it is one of the few remaining primary indigenous forests in Fiji.
It is owned by the Mataqali Emalu of Yavusa Emalu.
Consultations have been held with all members of the mataqali who have given their consent to the implementation of REDD+ activities.
During the consultations, it was revealed that the mataqali members preferred the establishment of a sustainable forest management (SFM) REDD+ project that would allow them to harvest timber sustainably.
However, it has been debated whether this is a feasible option.
Commercial harvesting would require a certain level of infrastructure development to extract the timber.
Given the remoteness of the area and the limited amount of timber that would be available for logging, it is questionable whether a company would want to make the investment.
Therefore, the option of a conservation REDD+ project type is being considered as a perhaps more suitable option.
The workshop ends tomorrow.
