Four villages in the district of Malolo in the Mamanuca Group are expected to benefit from a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) grant.
This was made possible through an agreement between the FAO, the Ministry of Forestry and two non-profit organisations – the Mamanuca Environment Society and Vinaka Fiji.
The agreement under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) project was signed by FAO assistant representative in Fiji Joann Young and the Ministry of Forestry permanent secretary Pene Baleinabuli.
Ms Young said as part of FAO’s commitment and partnership with Fiji, they would support sustainable and climate-smart practices promoted to help build resilient agriculture, fisheries and forestry production systems in the country.
“Fiji’s forests and coastal areas play an important role in providing valuable ecosystem services,” she said.
With over 60 per cent of Fiji’s land area in forest cover, Ms Young said, “the maintenance of forested landscapes is capable of reducing some of the likely impacts of climate change while essential adaptations are needed in coastal areas to reduce the impacts of climate change for coastal communities”.
Mr Baleinabuli said the IKI project would support Fiji’s commitment for forest landscape restoration. Mamanuca Environment Society project manager Marica Vakacola said villagers of Tavua, Yanuca, Solevu and Yaro would progress with their reforestation efforts as they had been encouraged to conserve their natural resources beginning from the ridges to the reefs.
“Our target is to reforest 160 hectares of degraded land in the district of Malolo in the next three years and after thorough consultation with villagers, they now realise that climate change is real and they need to act now,” she said.
