Press Release Detail

With funding assistance from the European Union under the framework of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), a $1.6m project on Action Against Desertification (AAD) was implemented in Fiji through the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and partners over the last 4 years. The AAD Project is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), [now referred to as the “Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States” (OACPS)] to restore drylands and degraded lands in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and to tackle the detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts of land degradation and desertification. The project builds on the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative, established in 2007, which had become Africa’s flagship initiative to combat the effects of climate change and desertification and brings together more than 20 African countries, international organizations, research institutes, civil society and grassroots organisations.   Fiji was fortunate to be the only Pacific Island Country to participate in the AAD project. According to Ms Joann Young, FAO Representative in Fiji, the project was in response to a request from the Fijian Government for assistance towards the implementation of Fiji’s Action Plans under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

Tangible Results

• Since 2017, the project has made the following impacts; 
  - reforested 1133 hectares of land which has contributed to Fiji’s 30 Million Trees in 15 Years (30MT15Y) initiative;
• - assisted with the setup of backyard gardens in rural schools and communities with the provision of farming tools and seeds;
• - provided beehives and relevant harvesting and value adding equipment which has contributed to sustainable livelihood and revenue generation for communities including women and youths;
• - established 35 project sites across Fiji which have directly benefited about 3360 Fijians and indirectly benefited up to 2940 more Fijians in 29 neighbouring sites; 
• - supported the Ministry’s natural disaster rehabilitation programme with the provision of planting materials and gardening tools.
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• These achievements parallel some key national initiatives, notably the National Development Plan which the Ministry has adopted in its strategic and annual operational plans.
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• This week, at the formal closure and handover of the AAD Project, the Permanent Secretary for Forestry Pene Baleinabuli received the Terminal Report and project assets to support the Ministry’s on-going forest and land restoration efforts.
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• Mr Baleinabuli said that the AAD project has helped provide tangible results that have benefitted the environment, nature and humanity.
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• “This has been a successful project in empowering communities, especially women and youth, by providing them with livelihood opportunities and renewing their appreciation of, and active participation in protecting nature.”

It is evident that the AAD Project concepts and objectives have been adopted by communities as they have taken ownership of the work through the development of women’s groups and the birth of community natural resource committees which are locally referred to as the “Yaubula Natural Resource Committee.”

Mr Baleinabuli said this is a huge achievement for the project, the Ministry and indeed for the country as the success of all nature-based projects are dependent on the commitment and dedication of resource owners.

Expanding Fiji’s Forest Cover

He said the reforestation of over 1133 hectares of land under the project has added to Fiji’s efforts to expand its forest cover.

The last forest inventory in 2007 noted that Fiji had a forest cover of about one million hectares out of 1.8 million hectares of land.

Mr Baleinabuli said this is likely to have changed and the Ministry is conducting a national forest inventory to inform us of the current status of forest cover.

In the meantime, the Ministry is working with various development partners to reforest as much land as possible.

“This is why the national treeplanting programme is a critical development as Fiji ramps up efforts to address climate change through nature-based solutions to protect the environment and biodiversity, while also contributing to our people and Nation’s socio-economic development,” Mr Baleinabuli said.

“We are indeed grateful to the FAO for projects like AAD which has helped with our land and forest restoration efforts,” he said.

“Additionally, the Ministry acknowledges that the project has contributed to the initiation of other projects including the International Climate Initiative (IKI) Project, Global Environment Facility (GEF) 6 Project and the United States Forest Service Pacific Island Forest and Restoration Project.

“We certainly look forward to strengthening our collaboration with the FAO and other development partners, especially learning from the lessons of the AAD to ensure that the new projects are successfully implemented,” Mr Baleinabuli said.