Posts by MES Fiji
World water day celebrations.
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. With this year 2013 declared as the International Year of Water Cooperation by the United Nations General Assembly, MES celebrated world water day with its three participating schools; Ratu Nemani Memorial School, TA Learning Centre and Nabila Public School. Celebrations at the three schools evolved on the theme Water Water Everywhere Only if we share! Program set out by MES to mark the day included; t-shirt printing, poster competition, poem writing and recital, colouring...
Read MoreBeauty Pageant to address climate change issues in Fiji
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its Climate Change Unit will utilise the Miss World pageant as a platform to address the effects of climate change in Fiji. The Ministry joined other stakeholders in launching Fiji’s bid for the global pageant and highlighted that government will use every avenue possible to raise awareness on the dangers of climate change to small island states. Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Ruci Mafi said such initiatives will promote efforts to address climate change. “When we look at climate change we focus on the impacts that have affected our most vulnerable communities especially those that live along the coastal areas,” she...
Read MoreNATIONAL CAMPAIGNS TO BETTER ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE
Co-ordination of national campaigns will be an area to demonstrate global commitment on how we can protect our environment from pollution. This was a collective submission made by participants at the national faith based environment stewardship summit held in Sigatoka on April 5th. Department of Environment director Jope Davetanivalu said these outcomes would show the sign of committed responsibility to better environment stewardship. “We can work alone in addressing these issues on the protection of environment, however we need your assistance and partnership to mitigate climate change at national level,” Mr Davetanivalu said. “This summit will also be building...
Read MoreLittle turtle delights Mana
A baby turtle was found crawling ashore at the South Beach of Mana Island on April 1st much to the delights of the staff. For many years, there was no nesting at the Magical Man Island and the drifter was called Ratu Mana. Probably tired from years of drifting passively around the Mana Lagoon, fighting waves and predators, the tiny hatchling finally gave up on the popular South Beach. Jimilai Bete who was on duty saw the baby turtle crawling ashore and took it to the rearing pond. Activities Manager, Deborah Manulevu said ‘The turtle hatchling was very inactive during its first hours in their captive pond. After three days the hatchling started feeding and moved...
Read MoreLikuliku re-opens: resumes guest presentation program.
Likuliku Lagoon Resort re-opened on the 22nd of April with twenty guests checking in on this very first day of operation. With the damages brought in by Tropical Cyclone Evan on December 2012, shear hard work and dedication from staff and management saw Likuliku resort re-open as scheduled.. Upon the re-opening of the resort, it also marks the resuming of the guest presentation program. The weekly program is held every Monday at 6.30pm and is a form of awareness on marine and terrestrial environment. The presentation lasts 30 to 45 minutes with 15 minutes question and discussion time where guests ask questions and raise issues regarding the content of the...
Read MoreGeorgia students study corals the Mana Island way
Georgia Institute of Technology students visited Mana Island Resort and Spa for the first time to study its coral reef structure as part of their three months Pacific Study Abroad Program. The group spent six weeks in New Zealand, four in Australia and finished the program with two weeks in Fiji which was spent in the Coral Coast and in Mana Island. During the time of this program the students take up courses covering the environment, culture, history and economics of the visited region. According to the Program leader Professor David Garton, the group are mostly students from the College of Engineering and some from other majors such as Biology, Chemistry and...
Read MoreFOCUS IS ON THE PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
Fiji will host the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on nature conservation and protected areas this December. Department of Environment director, Mr Jope Davetanivalu said Fiji had existing environmental laws at national level that would be reviewed through the progress of programmes. “We need to review the mangrove, bird and wildlife and forests conservations action plans which are built in the National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan,” Mr Davetanivalu said. “One area the department focuses on is the progress on awareness, for instance, most villages in the province of Macuata have restricted areas of fishing.” Marine and mangrove protected areas have been...
Read MoreBECOME GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS: PRESIDENT
Faith-based organizations and various non-governmental organizations have been challenged to design innovative ideas towards protecting our environment from the impacts of climate change. His Excellency the President Ratu Epeli Nailaitkau raised the challenge during Fiji’s first National Faith-Based Environment Stewardship Summit held in Sigatoka on April 2nd. “The global environment is in a crisis. The messages are clear. Climate change is a reality. It is humanity’s greatest challenge today,” Ratu Epeli said. “There is a critical worrying trend of biodiversity loss across the planet. The accelerating predominance of invasive species is becoming a real...
Read MoreWe welcome Marica to our team
We are thrilled to have Marica Rokosawa Vakacola joining our staff as Assistant Project Manager. Marica graduated with a Marine Science Degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Climate Change with a Post Graduate Diploma in Bio Diversity and Conservation. She is currently doing her Masters of Science major in Environmental Science at the University of the South Pacific. A teacher by profession, she was a lecturer in Marine Environmental Science at Fiji Institute of Technology now Fiji National University. She also taught in secondary school at Queen Victoria School and Adi Cakobau School respectively. Marica is from Nadoria village in Rewa. Please give her a warm welcome...
Read MoreWorkshop offers valuable insight
DISCUSSIONS at the Pacific Islands climate forum will bring about valuable insight into how climate and weather forecasting can help Fiji prepare for considerable challenges in the future. This was stated by the Minister for Local Government and Environment Colonel Samuela Saumatua during his address at the Pacific Islands climate forum at the Japan-Pacific ICT centre in USP on January 24. Col. Saumatua said Fiji welcomed co-operation from the international community, the Pacific region and from friends and colleagues from the US, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and Canada who were present at the forum. “Fiji continues to play a leadership role in the region and...
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