FIJI COUNTRY PROGRAM 2015

Provincial-scale engagement
STATUS: Ongoing
FUNDING: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (13-104090-000-INP)
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS: Bua Provincial Council Office, iTaukei Affairs Board, Departments
of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Bua Yaubula Management Support Team, SeaWeb
District representatives at the first ICM
workshop in Savusavu. ©Kini Koto/WCS
HIGHLIGHTS AND NEXT STEPS:
The first ICM workshop for the Bua Province was
held in July, 2015 in Savusavu. The workshop
aimed to: (i) gain an understanding of ICM, and its
relevance to Bua Province; (ii) review the progress
of district EBM plans, and their contribution to
the Bua Provincial ICM Plan; (iii) identify vision,
goals, objectives, issues and strategies; and (iv)
develop a governance body to oversee the
implementing of the Provincial ICM Plan. A large
focus of the workshop was identifying threats and
issues that could not be addressed at village or
district level that required provincial or nationallevel
interventions. All available datasets and data layers were presented and shared. The most
eye-opening part of the workshop for stakeholders was to see the scale of resource extraction
that was earmarked for the province across the forestry and mining sectors, mostly without the
knowledge of district heads. Participants discussed how an ICM for the province could help
them achieve a better balance better protecting and maintaining key habitats and ecosystems,
while still allowing for economic development. WCS will continue to work with the Bua
Provincial Council to complete the Bua Provincial ICM Plan in 2016.
LINKS TO NATIONAL PRIORITIES:
NBSAP Implementation Plan Thematic Area 4 (Coastal Development) Strategy 1: Strengthen
national guidelines for inter-sectoral coastal development, Objective 1.3: By 2014, a national
coastal development plan to be developed to regulate/monitor coastal development activities;
Adaptation Strategy 5: Support the ecosystem based management approach throughout Fiji,
recognizing that ecosystem services, such as food security, natural hazard mitigation and
physical coastal buffer zones, increase resilience. Green Growth Framework Thematic Area 3
(Sustainable Island and Ocean Resources): (i) develop a natural resource management system
which is inclusive and integrated.
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