Fiji taps into nature-based solutions to boost its ecosystems and economy

Fiji has an abundance of natural resources, and lacks the intense demographic, economic and industrial pressures that cause many serious environmental issues. Still, the Small Island Developing State (SIDS) must contend daily with environmental challenges caused by the global climate crisis, including sea level rise, coastal erosion and bleaching of corals.

These in turn cause loss of biodiversity which impacts livelihoods and food security. The global mismanagement of plastic waste has not spared Fiji either, with plastic waste increasingly contaminating the country’s shorelines and oceans.

To address these issues, Fiji has been looking towards innovative, nature-based solutions – approaches that use the power of nature to reduce climate risks and ensure human well-being and biodiversity benefits.

Here Mr. Joshua Wycliffe, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment in Fiji, discusses the country’s experience.