NO single entity can solve Fiji’s waste management crisis alone, says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka.
While officiating at the inaugural Pacific Recycling Foundation’s VAKA Forum with the tourism sector in Nadi yesterday, he said the forum served as a platform for stakeholders to forge necessary alliances to gain knowledge to tackle the Pacific’s waste management crisis.
“It should not be difficult, yet it is, but how do we get our population to care for our environment?” he said.
“Fiji’s tourism sector is considered a cornerstone of our economy, an uplifter of culture and community wellbeing.”
Mr Gavoka said the growth of tourism came with increased responsibility because of the industry’s voracious demand, which was straining the infrastructure for waste management.
“It is tourism that must ensure that our beautiful islands remain pristine, resilient, and sustainable for generations to come, not only because we have the most to lose, but because as an industry we have a far deeper understanding of what it will mean economically to lose this beautiful environment we are so very privileged to call home.”
Mr Gavoka said waste management was not just an environmental crisis for Fiji, in that it was also a social, economic, and cultural imperative that impacted the nation and the economy.
“The Hotel and Tourism Association has worked very closely with the Ministry of Tourism on the National Sustainable Tourism Framework.”
Mr Gavoka said those partnerships enabled us to pool resources, expertise and use all of this to our collective influence to create systemic change.
Pacific Recycling Foundation founder Amitesh Deo said the tourism industry was a significant generator of recyclables, including other types of waste such as food and textile waste.
“This is not my personal assessment. It is globally known, however, if you doubt this assessment, you can conduct a comparison yourself between the total number of visitors coming into Fiji each year and our population size,” he said.
Mr Deo said tourists wanted to be assured that they were not contributing negatively to this waste management crisis in Fiji.
“They want to know that the bottled water placed in their room or the tin cans used in the kitchen in preparation for their meals will be disposed of the right way.”
