Ministry Invests $17m in Drainage Upgrades

The Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways is implementing over $17 million of drainage and irrigation projects in the current fiscal year.

In his written question response to Parliament on Monday, line minister Vatimi Rayalu said nine work programmes nationwide worth $16.65m and four donor projects valued at $480,000 to improve drainage and mitigate climate-related risks were ongoing.

These include eight riverbank stabilisation projects in villages around the country under the Drainage and Flood Protection Programme; nine projects under the Coastal Protection Programme; Watershed Management Programme; River Dredging Programme; Irrigation Support for Farm Development Programme; a Gravity-fed Irrigation Dam; Maintenance of Rice Irrigation Schemes Programme; Maintenance of Drainage Systems (Non-Municipal) Programme; and Drainage for Rural Residential and Farmlands Programmes.

Additionally, the ministry is finalising a US$5.2m (FJ$11.75m) grant agreement with the Pacific Community (SPC) to fund 14 nature-based seawalls in coastal communities in Fiji impacted by climate change.

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