New Hydropanel Aligned With Govt’s Climate Change Goals
ESTIMATED 78% HAS ACCESS TO PROPER WATER SUPPLY: MINISTER FOR WOMEN CHILDREN AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
Fiji’s first solar hydropanel project which was launched at Yavusania Village in Nadi yesterday, is one way that aligns with Government’s climate change goals.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa after officiating at the launch of the solar hydropanel project. “The Hydropanel Project will not only make clean water accessible to the households in the identified communities, but clearly aligns itself to Government’s sustainability and climate change goals,” Ms Vuniwaqa said.
Mrs Vuniwaqa said an estimated 78 per cent of Fiji’s population had access to proper water supply. She said the estimated percentage was equivalent to 135, 498 households in the country. “Around the world, 844 million people lack access to safe water while 2.5 billion people live without improved sanitation,” she said.
“80 per cent of childhood disease is related in some way to unsafe drinking water, inadequate hygiene and poor sanitation and 272 million school days are lost each year due to water-related diseases.”
She said the figures showed that there were many harmful effects of having little to no access to safe drinking water.
Ms Vuniwaqa added that the most vulnerable group were children. “This is why I’m so passionate about issues relating to clean water reaching our children as a Minister mandated to look after the children in Fiji.”
She said the accessibility of clean drinking water to Fiji’s children was of immense importance to the ministry.
She commended Solved (Fiji) Pty
Limited, under the leadership of the chief executive officer, John Magnifico, for their work in assisting the villagers of both Yavusania Village and Koroipita communities with access to clean and safe drinking water.
The villagers acknowledged Mr Magnifico and his team, as well as Ms Vuniwaqa for allowing them to be the first in Fiji to have a hydropanel project.
Mr Magnifico said the newly established solar hydropanel project would now allow the villagers to get clean water, especially for those visiting the health centre in the village.
“The worst thing to do is treat a patient and giving them dirty water and so now, when they are treating people in the dispensary, they are going to get clean water,” he said.
She (Minister Vuniwaqa) said the accessibility of clean drinking water to Fiji’s children was of immense importance to the ministry.