Client: PROBLUE, The World Bank (WB)   |   Partners:  Marine Ecology Consulting |   Duration:  March 2022 – February 2023 |   Location: Fiji

Fiji faces unique challenges – being far from major markets, geographically fragmented and among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change. At the same time, Fiji has unique opportunities presented by the Blue Economy in sectors such as tourism and fisheries. With long stretches of sandy beaches, tropical forests and extensive coral reefs, Fiji often ranks as the most popular tourist destination out of all Pacific Island Countries. Tourism is the primary export earner, contributing approximately 34% to GDP in 2018.^[1] Despite the impacts of COVID-19, which have threatened businesses, livelihoods and economic growth, the country remains committed to tourism due to its importance to national economies and jobs.[2]

The nation’s marine, coastal and terrestrial resources are the foundation of culture, livelihoods and economic sectors such as tourism in Fiji, and yet these essential natural assets are under threat from uncontrolled land development, deforestation, overfishing and marine resource exploitation, pollution through agricultural and industrial wastes, and the spread of invasive species.[3]

The tourism sector contributes to the degradation of the natural assets it relies upon through destructive coastal developments, pollution, and unsustainable use of water, energy and other resources. The costs of natural hazard-induced disasters to the natural environment and the tourism sector are also likely to increase over the coming decades due to the impacts of climate change.

Acknowledging the urgency of responding to these challenges, the Pacific Ocean Advisory Program was initiated by the World Bank with support from the PROBLUE Multi-Donor Trust Fund. This program involves a series of technical assessments and studies that will help guide future investments. This specific assessment will employ a holistic ‘ridge-to-reef’ perspective to generate the relevant knowledge to support the Fijian Government’s efforts to improve ecosystem resilience through conservation, climate change adaptation and development of sustainable tourism.

There are two main interconnected parts to this assessment: :