An agreement signed today between Library Services Fiji and the IWRM Demonstration Project aims to motivate and cultivate environmental awareness among young people so they can express their thoughts and opinions on environment and water resource issues. 

 

“We want the youth of Fiji to act responsibly towards sustaining our land and water resources,” said Vinesh Kumar, Nadi IWRM demonstration Project Manger. “Many of the children we work with come from rural communities, they understand that there are consequences between the ways they use natural resources and how it impacts the environment. For example, they understand that if they cut down all the trees in one area they have to walk further to collect firewood.”

 

“What we want to do is enhance this knowledge, to provide knowledge and solutions, so that young people understand how their actions impact the environment and how they can lessen negative effects to the environment. This partnership with library services will help us do this,” Mr Kumar said. “The library service interacts with schools and interacts with children, together we can work together to help young people become ambassadors and champions of the concept that everyone needs to work together to protect our water and natural resources.”

 

In signing the agreement, the Director of the Land and Water Resources Management Division, Mr Lakshman Mudaliar, reminded people that water was a finite resource. 

 

“We used to think that whenever we wanted water it would be available. It is time now to realise that water is not an infinite resource,” Mr Mudaliar said. “Children are our hope and the leaders of tomorrow, we hope that through Fiji library services they will understand the importance of water.”

 

“Through our integrated water resources project we want all stakeholders to come together, work together to ensure that at the end of the day the community does not suffer and that we have a sustainable eco-system that is able to provide for the livelihood for present and future generations,” he said. 

 

Following the signing the group planted trees outside the Western Regional Library in Lautoka, to signify the importance of trees to water protection and the environment.

 

The Library services will help the Nadi IWRM project run oratory competitions, quizzes, debates and talent quests. It will with the assistance of the Department of Education make contact with the 10 secondary and 33 primary schools in the Nadi Basin catchment area. 

 

“Water is everybody’s business,” Mr Kumar said. “This is one way that various groups are working together to educate people and raise awareness of the issue.” 

 

The GEF IWRM Nadi Basin Demonstration Project is being run through the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC). The development of the bus design was supported by the European Union funded IWRM planning programme, also at SPC/SOPAC. It is a part of the Division of Land and Water Resources Management in Ministry of Primary Industries.