Nacamaki Clans Reap Benefits from Fiji's Degraded Forests Restoration Programme
Four clan or
landowning units (Mataqali) from Nacamaki Village—Manuku Ira, Narewa, Sarabau
and Vatuda/Nabete have benefited from participating in the Ministry of
Forestry’s Reforestation of Degraded Forests (RDF) programme.
Earlier this
week during his tour of Koro Island, the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry,
Honourable Kalaveti Ravu handed over a total incentive payment of $4,532.64 to
these Mataqali on Koro Island for planting a diverse mix of coastal, native,
exotic, and fruit trees on their land.
The Fijian
Government, through the Ministry of Forestry, is spearheading an ambitious
landscape restoration initiative, aiming to plant 30 million trees and
mangroves within 15 years, starting from 2019. This effort is part of Fiji's
strategy to combat climate change and restore biodiversity. Significant
contributors to the RDF programme include Fiji Pine Limited (FPL) and Fiji
Hardwood Corporation Limited (FHCL), alongside efforts from visitors, communal
landowners, and individual landowners who receive technical guidance from the
Ministry.
The program's
goals are aligned with the broader Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism
(FLRM) developed in collaboration with international partners like the
International Climate Initiative (IKI). This initiative aims to create an
enabling environment for national restoration programs, implement restoration
approaches with both carbon and non-carbon benefits, and enhance monitoring
capacities.
Nacamaki Village
Headman, Venasio Seru, expressed gratitude to the Government for their
assistance. “I also encourage our local communities to take part in the
program. Not only will we benefit by receiving incentives, but more
importantly, we are helping in the little way that we can to restore our local
forests and combat climate change, especially in coastal communities,” Mr. Seru
said.
The Ministry of
Forestry's efforts are part of a larger commitment to address deforestation and
land degradation, which are critical environmental issues in Fiji. These
efforts also include the restoration of mangrove forests, which provide
essential ecosystem services and act as a natural defense against climate
change impacts such as sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
Also, the
Ministry of Forestry distributed 500 coconut seedlings each to the villages of
Vatulele and Nabasovi in response to their requests. The seedlings were
procured from a Ministry of Forestry-registered vendor, Mr. Emori Bolabola of
Nabuna Village.
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