Nature-based Green Tech Initiative Logical Way Forward

It is great to hear that the Ministry of Waterways and Environment is conducting extensive research and is expected to make an announcement this July about a nature-based green tech initiative. The Government has been loosely working towards this goal.

This time the ministry is putting together a comprehensive programme to accelerate progress and help us achieve the benefits sooner rather than later.

The clean green image idea is not new. It’s been with us for awhile and is part of our climate change battle.

Replanting of trees and plants is an integral part of it. The Minister for Forests Osea Naiqamu has been spearheading this project. In February last year he launched the “Plant 4 million Trees in Four Years” initiative at Silana Village in Dawasamu, Tailevu.

It includes plans to plant all types of trees from timber trees to fruit trees and ornamental trees. Other ministries and agencies have joined in, particularly in the planting of mangrove seedlings.

Another project is the planting of vetiver grass on the banks of waterways, rivers and streams to prevent soil erosion.

Tests conducted overseas showed that it also cleaned up toxic water from old sawmill sites where arsenic and other toxic chemicals were hidden in the soil. It was used at old mining sites for stabilisation and chemical removal.

In Fiji its use was first developed in the sugar industry many years ago. It was used to stabilise embankments, terraces and to delineate farm boundaries as a soil conservation measure.

Bringing together all these green and conservation projects in a collaborative approach makes sense.

It is cost effective and sustainable in the long run. The green concept is linked to clean air. Apart from its health benefits there is also a financial spinoff. Today tourists are looking for destinations that offer this clean green image.

Fiji is in a strong position to take advantage of this opportunity.

The positive impact of this is that it will enhance our position.

At the same time we are preserving our natural resources for posterity.

Some countries are doing research to come up with technology that would replace the natural way and induce photosynthesis for trees and plants to survive and produce oxygen that humans and other living things need to live.

That is an expensive exercise and we may not have the funds to pursue it.

The best way, however, from our perspective is to go nature’s way.

While this is a laudable initiative, keeping our environment clean is still a major challenge. Enforcement of the law is weak and needs to be strengthened. The way we trash some parts of our neighbourhood through indiscriminate disposal of rubbish is deplorable and unacceptable.

Solving this problem should be a part of this new initiative.