Environment

PM: It’s back to business

The Sabeto Flats submerged under muddy waters. A flash-flood warning remains in force for low-lying areas in the Western Division. Picture: SUPPLIED/JESE TUISINU   By WANSOLWARA STAFF IT’S business as usual tomorrow. That’s the word from Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama as Severe Tropical Cyclone Keni continues to move south easterly within Fiji waters. And according to the PM, transportation services are expected to resume tomorrow in areas that were not washed out or unsafe. During a briefing at the National Disaster Management Office in Suva today, Mr Bainimarama said civil servants were expected to return to their posts with supermarkets…

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Commitment to climate fight

Ambassador of France to Fiji Sujiro Seam takes a selfie with ePOP participants at USP in Suva last week. Picture: WANSOLWARA STAFF   By ELIZABETH OSIFELO THE French Government is committed to the fight against climate change and hopes programs such as the eParticipatory Observers Project (ePOP) will shed light on the impact of this global phenomenon in the Pacific region. Ambassador of France to Fiji Sujiro Seam made the assurance during a visit to the Journalism newsroom at The University of the South Pacific in Suva last Thursday to observe the progress made at the conclusion of an ePOP…

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Korova Struggles Continue

By Shivika Mala After attending several climate change summits and conferences across the globe, members of Korova Settlement are still struggling to adapt to the direct impact of sea level rise and improper access to electricity. Korova, a small squatter settlement with not more than seven (7) houses, is located behind the Fiji School of Maritime along the Queen Elizabeth Drive, Suva. This is the same village where the movie makers of Disney film Moana had set foot to learn the tradition and culture of Camakau (traditional canoe which can be seen in the movie) building, as told by the…

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Women critical to climate solutions

By Mereoni Mili in Bonn, Germany It is important that women and girls remain in the centre of climate solutions. These were the words of the Minister of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa during the Gender Day event at COP 23 yesterday. She said it is important to have specific objectives for women in any economic or investment program with respond to climate change whether we talk about mitigation, adaptation or resilience. “If we understand the special place women have in our communities and act accordingly we would create strong programs, have more effective responses, build better and…

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Climate and Health Initiative

By Mereoni Mili  (Bonn, Germany) A new initiative to protect people in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from health impacts was launched yesterday at the COP23. The initiative is between the World Health Organisation, the United Nation Climate Change secretariat and the Fijian COP 23 Presidency. Speaking at the launch the Prime Minister and COP23 President Voreqe Bainimarama said "We all know that climate change will have a seriously increasing effects on the health of our people and create some serious challenges for our health system and infrastructure". “I am especially pleased that this initiatives is not a gift to SIDS,…

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Pacific Island Warriors Present Declaration at COP23

By Mereoni Mili (photo courtesy of Asia Pacific report) Bonn, Germany - The Pacific Climate Warriors delivered the Declaration on Climate Change to Pacific island leaders and members of the delegation at the Talanoa space in the Bonn zone this past week. The declaration is in the form of signatures and an online campaign called #haveyousei where people shared stories of how climate change has impacted people’s homes and the realities of climate crisis. More than 23 thousand people signed the declaration which was printed on a tapa cloth and presented to the leaders including former President of Kiribati Anote…

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Marshallese Push For Nuclear Free

The Marshall Islands Student Association is campaigning for a Nuclear Free Pacific. The group "MISA4thePacific" is collecting signatures for the Hibakusha International Appeal for a nuclear ban. This story by Ana Civavonovono.

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Food Choices and NCDs

By Sanju Prasad While there is a proven link between non-communicable diseases and poverty, this doesn’t necessarily mean those on the margins of society are destined to contract NCDs even though they might be at a greater risk. It’s a matter of what you choose to eat and drink, says a doctor. National adviser for non-communicable diseases Doctor Isimeli Tukana said NCDs was a choice issue, adding that regardless of the socioeconomic status, everybody needed to eat and drink. “Everybody will eat no matter poor or rich. …

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Coastal flooding forecast system a near reality

by RUCI VAKAMINO Residents of Nadi town, who are besieged by coastal flooding almost every year, will soon benefit from early warnings of coastal flooding and inundation when a forecasting modeling system is completed. The modeling system is one of the projects the Pacific Island Marine and Ocean Services (PIMOS) Panel is overseeing. “They are generating models; models for forecasting, inundation, and hazard maps to know which areas are vulnerable under which conditions,” said PIMOS chair Dr Tommy Moore. PIMOS is a panel of ocean and marine experts from the region and the world. It advises the Pacific Meteorological Council on…

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Dialogue and partnerships key for a more resilient future

By RUCI VAKAMINO Dialogue and strong partnerships are the best way to deliver on the region's shared goals of greater disaster resilience, says Solomon Islands environment minister Samuel Manetoali. "We must continue to work with our partners and ensure that adequate resources are available to support the implementation of priority programmes and projects in our countries and territories,” he says. "We must continue to collaborate and share knowledge,…

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