Lack of awareness about land management policies is contributing to land mismanagement in communities.

This, according to Co-founder of i-Taukei Women in Conservation Kristiana Teranlelei.

Teranlelei emphasizes the need to educate communities on sustainable land practices to improve development decisions.

She believes that engaging with communities and youth will enable ministries and stakeholders to better address challenges in sustainable land management.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Land and Mineral Resources Dr Raijeli Taga echoes this sentiment and states that community involvement fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility.

“I believe we have the relevant policies and frameworks that sort of guide the work that we do. And a lot of times we see that the policies that we have sort of focus more on development. So I think we also see a trend in the policies increasingly trying to integrate the aspects of sustainability.”

This, she adds leads to improved resource stewardship.

Taga adds that integrating youth into sustainable land management initiatives will harness their creativity and energy to tackle environmental challenges.