Fiji has taken a major step towards protecting its water resources with the launch of its first National Water Resources Management and Sanitation Policy and a 10-year implementation plan.
Assistant Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Naisa Tuinaceva launched the two national documents at the Holiday Inn in Suva on Tuesday, saying Fiji’s water resources were under increasing pressure from climate change and human activity.
“The population growth, urbanisation, the competing demands of water, and environmental degradation continue to place additional stress on our water resources,” he said.
Mr Tuinaceva said Fiji was also facing the impacts of droughts, floods, cyclones, saltwater intrusion, and changing rainfall patterns.
“These challenges cannot be addressed through isolated projects or individual agencies alone.
“The policy sets a clear direction for the efficient, equitable, and sustainable management of water resources while promoting universal access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation, and hygiene services.”
He said the accompanying Fiji Integrated Water Resources Management Plan would translate the policy into practical action over the next decade.
“This 10-year plan translates policy into practical action. It provides a strategic roadmap for strengthening the management of freshwater resources through improved planning, stronger institutions, better science, enhanced monitoring, and more effective regulation.”
Mr Tuinaceva said the success of the reforms would depend on implementation.
“Today’s launch marks not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter. The true measures of success will not be these publications themselves, but the commitment with which we implement them.”
