This project will develop forest restoration sites around the National Park, managed by communities and Park staff, and demonstrating tangible nature based solutions such as agroforestry, invasives management, and avoided degradation. These demonstration sites will form the platform for a network of community learning activities, including ethnobotany, building waste management and compost projects. These empowered community networks in climate resilience actions have the opportunity to demonstrate a best practice model for protected area, conservation, agricultural and cultural processes in peri-urban Fiji.
Project objectives ?
- Strengthen the climate resilience of the Sigatoka Sand Dunes ecosystem through establishing 3 forest restoration demonstration areas, achieving 80% community engagement in agroforestry, and reducing the spread of 5 key identified invasive species throughout the Sigatoka Sand Dunes ecosystem by 2025.
- Increased protection of the Sigatoka Sand Dunes ecosystem against fire degradation by establishing 3 natural fire buffer zones and a new fire buffer zone west of the National Park by 2025.
- Increased community awareness and climate adaptation action through the publication of an ethnobotany research and study of the Sigatoka Sand Dunes ecosystem, 80% community participation in the agrinursery, waste management and composting project, and successful implementation of 4 Health Parks, Healthy Peoples Campaign events by HIYH by 2025.
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The Sigatoka River produces the most fertile farming areas along its banks, supplying a large percentof locally grown food for Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu. With increasing climate change events, the Sigatoka River and estuary are more vulnerable to stormsand cyclones, resulting in greater risk of people exposed to climate hazards such as river and coastal flooding, coastal erosion, sand dune instability and loss of sediment to coastal beaches.The effects of these disasters include loss of agricultural production, decline in food security andlivelihoods, and damage to infrastructure and property. The National Park is well-placed as a green infrastructure to support opportunities for nature-basedsolutions for the region despite current efforts being based mainly on protection for conservation.
Source: Kiwa