Fiji’s land management system faces growing challenges such as pressure on water catchments and coastal areas, conflicting land uses across sectors, gaps in environmental accountability, and the impacts of climate change. Recognising these issues, the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has begun work on a Natural Resource and Environmental Management Policy, with support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
The recent workshop in Suva convened TLTB executive and staff across all their divisions and locations across Fiji, to address these challenges. In his opening remarks, TLTB Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Solomoni Nata underscored the importance of an environmental policy that reflects the interconnected nature of land, water, and community wellbeing. “This environmental policy is important to TLTB because it affects the people and their resources. We need to start thinking about the whole water catchment and how leases and activities affect other communities and the qoliqoli,” Mr. Nata said.
