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Water Governance

Programme for Water Governance in Fiji

Introduction

Proposals

Outcomes

PFWG proposal for Fiji

Eight specific objectives of the pilot were identified, which have been developed for discussion and further action by the National Water Committee: The National Water Committee is chaired by the Director of the Mineral Resources Department and includes representatives of the ministries and departments with water-related roles.

Proposals are:

1.National water policy	To progress further policy work following the adoption of the interim national water policy.The key policy issue is water rights and native land ownership.The pilot recommended that the government ensure it has the legal power to manage and allocate Fiji’s water resources and that such power is not compatible with the granting of ownership of the water to native land owners. To consider a draft policy on provision of rural water supplies and sustainability. It promotes the investigation of all sources of water and the need to ensure that the local management and maintenance arrangements for local water supplies are developed at the design stage for the schemes.
2.Water Resources Legislation	To consider water resources legislation based on an outline provided by the project that deals with all water resources, including surface water and groundwater.Some policy issues need to be resolved before legislation can be finalise, in particular the matter of native land ownership and water rights.
3.National coordination	To establish a permanent representative policy level coordination body such as a national water council, to (i) oversee the water management reform process and (ii) advise the government on important water issues, (iii) investigate and report on matters referred to it by the government.The national water council would comprise representatives of private interests in Fiji with high level representatives of the key public sector agencies with a role in water.
4.Institutional development (i)	To identify a ministerial responsibility for water resources management. To create a secretariat to support the national water council. To commence development of the administrative capacity to undertake water management responsibilities, which include (i) water allocation and control for both surface water and groundwater, (ii) flood management and planning (to be coordinated with flood warning and flood response), (iii) coordinate water resources data responsibilities, (iv) assessment of riverine and estuarine activities, and (v) undertake the technical work required for these activities.
5.Institutional development (ii)	To assign the responsibility for national water data collection in the key data fields.To develop water resources databases for long-term planning and water resources assessments for surface water and groundwater.To establish an information coordinating system for water resources data exchange and consistent data quality.
6.Capacity Building	To identify the key capacity requirements for the water resources management function and strategies for obtaining relevant qualifications and skills in Fiji.