Peceli Naviticoko 
Ministry of iTaukei Affairs workshop with landowners
The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs recently held a workshop with landowners to promote the sustainable management of water resources and ensure fair compensation for those protecting catchment areas.
Provincial Administrator for Macuata, Revoni Rakasalu, says the workshop was aimed at validating the draft Standing Trees Compensation Policy, based on extensive feedback from government ministries, landowning units, and technical partners.
He adds that the workshop also aims to provide a platform for landowners to have an inclusive dialogue on the policy’s core components, including the valuation of standing trees and an appropriate compensation model.
“To ensure that the policy is fully aligned with relevant legal instruments, including the Forest Act, the iTaukei Land Trust Act, and Fiji’s international obligations under frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, REDD+, and the Sustainable Development Goals”
Rakasalu says the session also provided landowners a platform to discuss key policy components, including how standing trees are valued and what a fair compensation model should look like.
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