Fiji’s national liquid waste management strategy and action plan 2006

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Fiji’s national liquid waste management strategy and action plan

Sanitary and environmental conditions in many areas in Fiji are becoming a threat to public health and the preservation of natural resources. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop better ways to manage waste, and in particular liquid waste in Fiji. There is a need for holistic and integrated planning especially in the context of the fragile ecology and limited natural resource base of Pacific Island Countries. Partnerships are required between government, community, the private sector and non-government organizations (NGO) to accomplish waste reduction and pollution control objectives.
The recently passed Environmental Management Act (EMA) calls for the development of a National Liquid Waste Management Strategy. The National Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan was developed in 2005. The proposed strategy will set the direction for sustainable liquid waste management in Fiji and was developed through a process of wide consultation with all stakeholders involved in the production and the management of liquid waste. The strategy developed will be led by Government working in close partnership with local government and other key stakeholders.

Through two Liquid Waste Forums and the set up of 5 Working Groups, information and expertise from various sections of the community such as industry, NGO, academia, local government were obtained. The Working Groups were set up based on the types of waste that were agreed to by all stakeholders in the first forum convened under this strategy. The two public forums provided opportunity for discussion of critical issues and effective ways of managing liquid waste in Fiji and to solicit the viewpoints of all stakeholders. Based on the public forums and the Working Groups deliberations, the National Strategy and Action Plan for Fiji was developed. It was then sent out for review by forum participants and the Ministry of Environment.
The plan is divided into five sections, one for each working group topic. The strategy outlines the goal, which generally aims to minimize the negative human health and environmental effects from liquid waste. Specific objectives and activities to achieve the goal were determined, also identifying lead agencies, key contributing agencies, output indicators, indicative costs and other resources needed. In general, the objectives and activities fall into categories coherent with regional waste strategies: • Identifying existing liquid waste management activities and their effectiveness to determine best technologies and practice, • Developing a regulatory framework that effectively encourages adoption of best practice and monitors change, • Creating awareness and willingness of people ready to achieve goals, • Implementing pilot projects and up-scaling successful ones, • Developing the needed human and capital resources to carry out the needed activities.