National Water Resources, Sanitation Policy Being Finalised: Minister Usamate

The Fijian Government is finalising the national water resources management and sanitation policy. This will ensure the proper management of water resources, water supply and sanitation services in Fiji.

Minister for Infrastructure and Meteorological Services Jone Usamate assured this during the World Water Day celebration 2022 at Vunimono Hall in Nausori on Tuesday. The theme of the day was “Groundwater: Making the Invisible, Visible”.

This year’s celebration marks the 29th year of celebrating the importance of Water globally since its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.

Mr Usamate said this was important as there was a need to maximise awareness on the importance of water at all levels, national, divisional, district and community level.

He said water was one of the most important and vital resource on Earth.

“All life forms on earth require water to survive. If there will be no water there would be no life on earth,” Mr Usamate said.

“Having access to safe and clean drinking water is a constitutional right under Fiji’s 2013 Constitution.

“It is also an ambitious target under Fiji’s National Development Plan which aims for 100 per cent access to clean and safe water to be realized by 2021 for urban areas and by 2031 for rural areas.”

To achieve this, the Government has allocated funds through its implementing agencies namely, the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) and Mineral Resources Department (MRD) for rural and urban water projects.

Mr Usamate said while there was a focus on accessing water through surface water sources, groundwater was also explored in areas where surface water easily dries up particularly during dry spell.

He said this was common in most of our maritime communities, communities along the coast and some inland.

“Most arid areas of the world, including Fiji and the regions also depend entirely on groundwater,” Mr Usamate said.

“Groundwater supplies a large proportion of the water we use for drinking, sanitation, food production and industrial processes

“Government through the Mineral Resources Department (MRD) is responsible for groundwater assessment and development.

“In doing so, Government has invested approximately $26.2 million for groundwater assessment and development on large islands and $35.1 million on Small Islands.”

So far, the Mineral Resources Department have installed 543 boreholes in Viti Levu, 225 boreholes on Vanua Levu and 361 boreholes on smaller islands.

For this financial year alone, Government has allocated $1.6 million for groundwater assessment and development. This includes 30 groundwater assessment and investigations with community engagements, 15 groundwater drilling and development and 10 borehole water reticulation projects to benefit the rural communities.

Mr Usamate said the Government was in the process of finalising the Groundwater Resources Development and Management Policy through the Mineral Resources Department.

He said this policy would ensure the proper development and management of our groundwater.

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