A PANEL discussion on floods in Nadi, organised by the University of the South Pacific's economics department will be held later this week.
USP lecturer Professor Salim Rashid says the aim of the panel discussion is to have some understanding of the causes of the floods and the effectiveness of alternative solutions.
"In order to focus our thoughts it helps to examine a clearly articulated view, then to raise questions and to point out what we need to know to have a satisfactory basis for reasonable action," he said.
Prof Rashid said it was the function of the panel discussion to provide the public a common knowledge base.
"For some practical questions, the belief government alone can solve such problems be counter-productive. Without active local involvement such questions rarely get addressed.
"Not that any locally agreed solution is final but local participation provides a set of motivated individuals with a readiness to continually reassess and adapt.
"There is an important sense in which the civil society of Nadi has to agree to own this problem. The goal of this discussion is to urge them to do so systematically and not just after a flood," said Prof Rashid.
The panel discussion will be held at the Fiji National University lecture theatre on Thursday.