Project Overview
Fiji is an independent island State comprised of over 300 islands, and home to over 850,000 people – one of the most populated in the South Pacific. These islands form a complex group of high islands of volcanic origin, along with reefs, atolls, sand cays and raised coral islands, and rich biodiversity.
Over the years, human actvities have affected the quality of water. Examples: industrial waste and sewage, catchment development, urban areas growth, and mismanaged land practices. Fiji’s GEF R2R IW project will focus on testing and enhancing integrated management of a series of forested watersheds to protect land, water, forest and biodiversity resources, maintain carbon stock, and protect coastal mangrove and coral reef marine protected areas (MPA).
Threats from land-based sources of pollution, derived primarily from sedimentation (soil erosion, agriculture, forestry, and poor land-use practices), urban run-off, agro-chemicals and solid waste.
Waimanu Catchment - Rewa River and Delta
The Waimanu River, located in the Nausori-Naitasiri topography is one of three rivers draining large amounts of fresh water into the Rewa River and into the sea. Fresh water from the upper Wainibuku, Wainimala and Waibau rivers flows into the Waimanu River, which in turn flows directly into the Rewa River and Delta. The Waimanu River is situated in an ideal central location to be a major source of drinking water for the centre island of Viti-Levu.
Component 1:
Strengthening capacity for watershed assessment, mapping and planning.
Component 2:
Reducing environmental stress targets on municipal waste and aquifer pollution, terrestrial and wetland habitats, catchment protection measures by implementation of priority measures and best practices reflected in the Watershed Management Plan.
Component 3:
Developing the enabling environment for the replication and scaling-up of best practices in watershed management as set out in a Watershed Management Plan.
IW R2R Project Manager
[email protected]
