Problem overview:

     Awareness and visions: The cause of land degradation has made the Fijian government aware of environmental destruction resulting from economic development. Therefore, an environmental institution in the government body has been set up to formally tackle the problem, which is the Department of Environment today.

     Framework for coordination: In order to integrate environmental considerations into national policy making, the Department of Environment needs to coordinate with other ministries in order to provide correct background information and technical advice along with decision making alternatives for national policy makers to arrive with environmentally sustainable policies.

Background:

      In the policy sphere, prior to 1980, environmental protection was not given much significance. However it is ironic that in post War colonial Fiji far greater attention was given to the problems of land degradation (promoting soil conservation and presently fires) than is the case today. Environmental concerns were raised through the various 5-year development plans dating from 1970. The National Environment Council, which is now part of the draft Sustainable Development Bill was recommended way back in Development Plan 7 (1970 - 75).

      In 1989 the Fiji Government decided it needed a more formal approach to environmental issues. The response was the establishment of the Environmental Management Unit under the Department of Town and Country Planning within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The main functions of the EMU were to provide policy advice to government on environmental matters. It was also expected to conduct environmental assessments referred to it by government.

      In late 1992, due to increasing interest in the environment, the EMU was elevated to a full Department in order to give a higher-level status to the Governments efforts to manage Fijis environment. Since that time the Department of Environment (DoE) has been providing ad hoc advice to other government department agencies on a range of environmental matters, including:

• Environmental standards for saw mills to the Forestry Department.
  
  

• Advice to the Department of Agriculture on setting up environmental committee, and on the environmental impact of its dredging operations.
  
  

• Advice to the Public Works Department on setting up environmental committee, sewerage projects, air emissions in Traffic Act.
  
  

• The environmental benefits of the promotion of eco-tourism
  
  

• Mineral Resources advice on the environmental implications of establish a new and expanding existing mines.
  
  

• Advice to the Ministry of Trade and Industry on environmental impact assessment for private sector investment proposal and the environmental implications of export free zones.

      Apart from providing this type of advice the other functions of the Department is expected undertake, include:

• Providing a secretariat to the EMC which continues to operate;
  
  

• Developing national environmental policy;
  
  

• Coordinating environmental impact assessment of development projects;
  
  

• Developing environmental education and awareness programs; and
  
  

• Maintenance of an environmental information database.

      The major weakness of the DoEs operations is its lack of significant influence on the economic planning process. The interests of the environment are not represented directly, or even indirectly, on the Economic Sub-Committee of Cabinet - the paramount economic policy body. The result is a lack of effective central co-ordination of national environment initiatives.

      Another weakness is the location of DoE, which is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Housing portfolio is very much a development activity, hence, conflicts of interest within the Ministry are very likely to occur and inevitably obstruct some of its responsibilities. Still, the current minister responsible for the MHUDE has devoted a considerable portion of his time to his environment portfolio and has taken a leading role in the development of the Sustainable Development Act (SDA). However there is much more to the environment than urban development and housing issues. Fijis major environmental problems are seen to lie in the area of land degradation. It is of note that this is the least adequately covered area in the SDA.

      In the 1998 Budget the amount allocated to the Department of the Environment (DoE) is $774,000($301,000 in 1997). This represents 1/10th of a percent of the 1998 Budget. A comparison on the Budget allocation to the DoE compared with other Departments is made in the table below.

      Table: Comparative budget allocations made to Fiji government departments: 1998 Budget

      * Includes both capital and recurrent budget

      If central budget allocations to the DoE can be taken as a rough guide to government priority afforded to the environment, it is clear that the environment still holds a relatively low position in the nations development priorities.

      The lack of Fiji Government resources provided for the environment in the annual budget system has made it difficult for the DoE to carry out the tasks expected of it. The DoE has been able to continue operations via projects funded by donors or through international environmental conventions to which Fiji is a signatory. It is fortunate the interest in the environment is very strong among aid donors. However it means at the end of the day these projects are donor, and not Fiji driven, and thus at the end of the day are not sustainable.