Ministry to start national discourse on waterways
THE Ministry of Waterways will soon introduce a national discourse in its bid to protect Fiji’s waterways.
Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy revealed this during the International Day of Action for Rivers in Bilalevu, Sigatoka on Friday.
“This is a very special day for Fiji as we will be launching a project that will secure you, secure your livelihood, your food security and one of the most important natural resources which defines your existence and define the entire livelihood of people in small developing countries which is waterways,” Dr Reddy said.
“Our daily life is linked to waterways and amazingly we have not had any national discourse on these waterways, the rivers, the streams, never.
“We have taken it for granted, our iTaukei community if you look around Fiji that there are settlements and villages around waterways. Why? Because part of their entire and daily lifestyle is linked to the waterways.”
Dr Reddy said people’s own activities were threatening such natural resources and it was time actions were taken against threatening activities such as cultivation on river banks.
“It’s illegal to cultivate right on the edge of the river bank because you are destabilising our rivers. You are doing it because you are thinking of your own interest and not the interests of your future generation, our own actions are affecting the waterways.”
Dr Reddy said they would develop frameworks and protocols and would try to watch the behaviour of people amid this national discourse plan.
“Because at the end of the day you are there on the frontline and if we need to protect our waterways, it is you who are in daily interaction of our waterways who will stand up and take ownership.”