Press Release Detail

As a member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and signatory to the Paris Agreement, Fiji commenced with the National REDD+ Programme in 2009 through the Readiness phase of which the following have been produced: a National REDD+ Policy, a National REDD+ Strategy to address the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and ensure sustainable forest management; Safeguards policies like the Environment Social and Management Framework, the Resettlement Policy Framework and Measuring Results Verification (MRV) components which included the development of a National Forest Management System (NFMS) and a Safeguards Information System (SIS).  The setting up of these systems facilitate easier referencing and reporting to the UNFCCC, the National Determined Contributions (NDCs), the United Nations Convention to Combat Drought, Desertification and Degradation (UNCCD) and other related reporting like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Forestry Outlook and the Global Forest Assessment Report.  Following the REDD+ readiness is the implementation phase and on January 28, 2021, Fiji signed an agreement with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), a global partnership of the World Bank, of US$12.5 million (approx. FJ$26 million) in results-based payments for increasing carbon sequestration and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Fiji is the first small island developing state to sign an Emission Reductions Payment Agreement (ERPA) with the World Bank’s FCPF. The five-year agreement will reward efforts to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation under Fiji’s Forest Emission Reductions (ER) program.  Both the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Forestry play leading roles in this initiative.  To assist with greater public understanding of Fiji’s ER Program, the Ministry of Forestry will publish a series of articles detailing the different aspects of the Program.

Emission Reduction
Fiji’s Forest ER Program continues to be at the forefront of discussions amongst government agencies, policy makers, civil society organisations and communities as the country maneuvers its way to find bearings that will reduce carbon emissions as a national effort and so address the effects of climate change.

Prime Minister and Minister for Forestry, Voreqe Bainimarama, during the International Day of Forests on 21 March, said that in the past, forests were valued only in terms of the products they yielded.

“That’s how forestry shows up when a country’s gross domestic product is calculated—by how much timber is produced, how much pulp for paper, and the quantity of wood chips. In the process, the world has under-valued the role of forests as a carbon sink.”

“That is changing. With climate change upon us, we know that we must finally recognize the total economic value of forests.”

PM Bainimarama said that Fiji is embracing this concept having entered into a carbon trade five-year agreement with the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility aimed at addressing the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation through the sustainable management of our forests.

Community Planting
Fiji’s Forest ER Program aims to reduce emissions and enhance livelihoods in particular for forest dependent communities. The livelihoods of local communities are closely tied to their land and natural resources. The area for the ER Program will cover Fiji’s three largest islands – Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and Taveuni.

Permanent Secretary for Forestry Pene Baleinabuli said the selection of 20 districts for the Forest ER Program is based on activities that have taken place centered on high carbon emission reduction potential including afforestation/reforestation mainly on utilized and degraded grasslands, enrichment planting of poorly stocked and/or degraded commercial plantations, implementation of a harvesting guide – the Fiji Forests Harvesting Code Of Practice - with reduced impact logging in active logging sites, agroforestry and alternative livelihood and protection of native forests under present or potential threats of deforestation.

“While the Forest ER Program is targeted at the three largest islands in Fiji and the 20 districts have been selected for specific interventions, this does not limit any other area in Fiji from being involved,” PS Baleinabuli said.

The four activities proposed within Fiji’s Forest ER Program include Sustainable Forest Management - through the Diameter Limit Table and selective logging practices, Sustainable Land Management or Climate Smart Agriculture, Forest Conservation & Tree Planting - community planting, and plantations establishment by the Fiji Hardwood Corporation Limited (FHCL) and Fiji Pine Limited (FPL), coupled with alternative livelihoods that will be of benefit to the communities who choose to participate.

The first activity is community planting as well as alternative livelihoods. It also includes supporting the plantation establishments by FHCL and FPL.

REDD+ Program Team Leader, Ilaisa Tulele said that the impact of the afforestation/reforestation activities of the ER Program will be significant given the large expanse of degraded grasslands and poorly stocked plantations in Fiji.

“Aside from benefits generated from the ER Program, these activities will contribute towards a more robust forest production sector where future timber demand can be met through a sustainable supply from planted and managed forest areas rather than from indigenous forests.”

He said that it is well recognized that reforestation and afforestation activities when planned properly result in enhanced forest ecosystem services which are critical for keeping small island landscapes healthy and productive and in turn contributing to increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities against the intensifying impacts of climate change.

Carbon Enhancement
For carbon enhancement through community tree planting, the intervention is supported by Fiji’s national tree-planting program of 30 million trees in 15 years, which the then President Major-General Jioji Konrote launched at the State House in January 2019.

“It is anticipated that a total of 5,750 ha will be planted by 2024. It is also anticipated that the ER Program will generate interest for landowners to become more involved in restoring degraded landscapes and strengthen local governance system through platforms such as the Forest Care Group, Forest Wardens and the Yaubula Management Teams,” Mr Tulele said. 

On afforestation/reforestation which include Riparian restoration planting, Shade Grown Agriculture and Alternative Livelihood, seven districts were selected based on the pressing need for nature-based solutions to mitigate flash floods and landslides and limited livelihood opportunities.

“It is anticipated that rural farmers will embrace and uptake these interventions through farmersfield school discussions and learning exchange. Generally, farmers may integrate small timber production, fuel woodlots and fruiting trees with crop production. Rotational woodlot with fast growing trees would involve intercropping dalo, yaqona, cassava, corn and others with fast growing firewood/ fodder trees such as Drala (Erythrina variegata), Bean Tree (Sesbania grandiflora) or Bainicagi (Gliricida sepium).”

Riparian restoration on the other hand focuses on planting riverbanks with tree crops and vetiver grass. Tree species selected will align with aspirations of local communities. Most commonly, fruit trees are the preferred species as it is beneficial and accessible to all community members.

“For flood mitigation, the Ministry of Forestry will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the districts with important headwaters and those with a history of flash floods to identify critical areas for the intervention. The intervention includes restoration/ planting of local tree species and vetiver grass at a buffer of 20 meters along riverbanks.

“On slope lands and integration of shade grown cultivation using alley cropping technique, it is assumed that shade grown cultivation will retain 0.3ha of trees per hectare. This means that in one hectare, farmers may retain 0.3ha of shade trees or plant alley cropping equivalent to 0.3ha in a mixed cropping system.” 

Alternative Livelihoods
As part of alternative livelihoods, the intervention is targeted at small holder farmers that clear native forest to cultivate dalo/yaqona. Vanilla is also highly valuable and therefore is being advocated. Cured vanilla pods have a current market rate of FJ$400 per kg compared to FJD$150 per kg for kava.

Proposed sites for each of these interventions include riparian restoration for the districts of Labasa, Dogotuki, and Tunuloa in Vanua Levu and Sigatoka, Namataku, and Cuvu in Viti Levu.

For shade grown cultivation, the districts include Tavua and Nabobuco in Viti Levu and Wailevu, Taveuni, Bua, Seaqaqa, Saqani in Vanua Levu. For alternative livelihood, the districts include Vaturova in Vanua Levu and Saivou, Nadarivatu, Serua, Yakete and Noikoro on Viti Levu.

Landowning units, farmers, women and youth are encouraged to actively participate in Fiji’s Forest ER Program. For more information contact any nearest Forestry Office within your vicinity.