New Sewage System For Informal Settlements
Twelve informal settlements in Fiji will soon have a much cleaner and safer sewage system.
This was an assurance given by the Ministry of the Infrastructure Permanent Secretary Taitusi Vakadravuyaca.
His comments follow the successful handover of the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE) infrastructure to the Tamavua-i-Wai community in the Central Division, yesterday.
RISE is a transdisciplinary research programme working at the intersections of health, environment, and water and sanitation.
The system is about a new water sensitive approach to water and sanitation management in informal settlements.
Fiji is one of the three countries in the world to have been chosen for its piloting phase.
“Today is a unique opportunity for us to observe the first project and its experts; engineers, medical doctors, social scientists, economists, and anthropologists who are interested in what green alternative technologies and infrastructure look like for the planet,” he said.
“This project is trailing these sorts of technologies that have been placed and designed in partnership with communities.
“As we face the challenges of climate change, we have to build resilient communities and I really applaud RISE because you are facing that into the work that you are doing and making sure that this project is robust and can be replicated elsewhere.”
Mr Vakadravuyaca thanked the community of about 40 households for opening their doors to the infrastructural advancement.
Community reaction
Maciu Taragavou joined the project stakeholders to witness what he called ‘an answered prayer’.
He said the community was always known as a red zone area around Suva because of health hazards.
“We are really grateful for the opportunity we have been provided,” he said.
Another area that will be part of this project is Kinoya Village in Nasinu.
Two village nurses from there, Salome Tisolo and Seruwaia Naivalu were part of the programme in Tamavua-I-Wai.
“We can’t wait for the project to kick start in our village. We are part of the second batch,” Ms Tisolo said.
“This project gives us a much cleaner place to live.”
The sewage system was designed by the Monash University and sponsored by Australia and New Zealand.
RISE continues to work with communities, governments, local leaders and partner institutions to design location-specific solutions that integrate green infrastructure, to strengthen the whole-of-life water and sanitation cycle.
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