Project Context

Fiji’s communities and ecosystems face growing pressures from climate hazards, including flooding, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion and growing water insecurity. In the Nasivi River Basin, located in the Tavua District of Ba Province, land degradation, poor soil management, and the loss of riparian buffers and coastal ecosystems have compounded these risks, leaving both midstream and downstream communities increasingly vulnerable.

Under GGGI’s “Mainstreaming Adaptation at the Local Level in Fiji” project, ICEM was commissioned to undertake a feasibility study for the application of an integrated Ridge-to-Reef (R2R) management approach in the Nasivi Basin. This study aims to support integrated land water management, restore critical ecosystem functions, and establish a robust foundation for scalable, climate-resilient solutions across vulnerable catchments in Fiji.

Objectives

The project aims to:

• Assess the feasibility of an integrated Ridge-to-Reef management approach in the Nasivi Basin, combining upstream catchment restoration and soil management with downstream nature-based solutions for flood mitigation and coastal protection.
• Generate a replicable model for integrated catchment management that can be applied to other vulnerable catchments across Fiji.