Existing Solutions

river, basin, catchment, iwrm, governance, policy, legislation, communities, water, Fiji, Nadi, committees, flooding, monitoring, collaboration, communiation

policy

Institutional, Communication

The main aim of the project is to Integrate land and water management planning using an integrated flood risk management approach to improve flood preparedness and management within the Nadi Basin.

In principle, Integrated Water Resource Management concept of this project has utilized the planning and management approach which aims to manage both water and land resources through improved sectoral collaboration and partnership between government and civil society using:

• Integrated Land and Coastal use Planning (ridge to reef concept)
• Water Resource Assessment and Quality Monitoring
• Watershed and Land use Management
• Demand Management and Water Use Efficiency
• Water Rights, Policies and Legislation
• Water Resource Information and Management Systems
• Education and Awareness Raising amongst Civil Society

The project activities are designed to: help local communities and other stakeholders to improve their resilience to flooding through improved understanding of the river network and floodplain interactions; raise awareness of flooding issues; interlink with other activities working on flood management and risk reduction; act as a model for other catchments (particularly via the sharing of lessons learned).

The project also intends to demonstrate a governance model for catchment management through the Nadi Basin Catchment Committee (NBCC) for future scaling-up at the national level and integration into Government policy.

The solution is being implemented in the Nadi River Basin. Nadi is located on the West coast of Fiji’s main Island, Viti Levu. It is the hub of Fiji’s tourism sector and is also an important agricultural and business center.

The project was initiated as a regional approach to improving water issues in the Pacific by the Pacific regional representatives to the United Nations. They approached the Global Environment Facility Secretariat who agreed to finance a concept note. IWRM was also called for as part of the Pacific Regional Action Plan on sustainable water management, which has been endorsed by Pacific leaders.

Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SOPAC): brought in at the beginning, Fiji Land, Agriculture, Water and Mineral Resources Division under the Ministry of Primary Industries: brought in at diagnostic analysis and inception, National Water and Sanitation Committee, Fiji Mineral Resources Division, Nadi Town Council, Water Authority of Fiji.   

Nadi Basin Catchment Committee (which consists of representatives from local and national government, community based organizations and civil society, and business).

GEF IWRM Demonstration Project.

How do we improve the capacity of communities and institutions to respond to improved information (flood monitoring, community response plans, and improved institution response) on flooding?

By increasing local level capacity to make informed decisions, improving reaction times to flood events, improving coordination at local, and national levels, improving flood mitigation through whole of catchment activities and management, improving communication between all stakeholders.

- Formation of the Nadi Basin Catchment Committee: it has increased local capacity to deal with flood events.

- Better land use management and re-vegetation: Protects the upper catchments and encourages more improved use of riparian areas.

- Improved real-time rainfall and riverflow information: aids in earlier response and warning, and triggers a coordinated National Repsonse, resulting in minimaisation of loss, personal effects and life.

The solution can continue to deliver tangible impacts through newly adopted institutional arragenmenst and improved environmental services.

Diminished loss of life, capital, personal assets; more risk adverse development; improved maintenance of eco-systems to better mitigate against flooding.

River basin catchment committees, National Disaster Management Offices, Departments of Agriculture, Community based organizations, development planners. Other transboundary iniatives working towards basin level solutions. 

In what context do you think this solution could / would work best and why?*

In local basin catchment areas.

Given your experience, what would be needed to upscale this solution, for example to a political or/and a regional level ?*

Understanding of institutional settings; policy and legal support and reform; effective sharing of best practices; cross watershed administrations.

Dos: Install independent chairs of catchment committees; put in place community based coordinating mechanisms/committees with linkages to executive government; ensure regional and national development planning; operate local pilot and demonstration activities to build momentum and better inform planning; minimize use of external consultants (go local); ensure watershed catchment committees have working groups to deal with a range of technical and political issues; ensure involvement of Community Based and Civil Society Organizations; and ensure emphasis of use of grant funds as catalysts only while focussing on securing central and provincial government contributions.

Donts: Don’t centralize project management. Don’t diminish local responsibility by taking over at national or regional levels.

You need a well resourced secretariat with adequate project management skills and experience in land and water allocation issues; well planned communications to support cross-sectoral inputs; Local, provincial and national commitments at leadership level; Proactive Civil Society and Commercial sector engagement.  

Horizontal and vertical integration and participation; Successful adoption of a holistic approach;  Successful operation of locally based coordinating committee with high level representation from National, Local and Provincial Government, Business, and Community Organizations; Good coordination of on the ground stress reduction activities and use of results of those in provincial and national planning.

- National leaders are using the model to develop national law on watershed development.

- Discussions at a national level of replicating this project in other major catchments and to design watershed projects throughout Fiji.

www.pacific-iwrm.org

Vinesh Prasad, Fiji GEF IWRM Demonstration Project Manager, vinesh.kumar01@agriculture.gov.fj

Phone: +679 9970437