This is a report on research conducted by the author under funding provided by the University
of Adelaide and the International Waters Project1
of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environmental Programme (SPREP). The focus of the research project has been to examine
how existing arrangements for, and approaches to, governance affect the management of
coastal resources and environments in three South Pacific countries: Fiji, Vanuatu and
Solomon Islands. It is not a comparative study; this report focuses on Fiji.
The guiding objective of this research has been to utilise insights from policy and institutional
analysis to improve the sustainable management of coastal environments in Fiji and to
understand the barriers and opportunities to achieving integrated coastal management.
Integration has, in recent years, become a major focus of efforts to improve environmental
management in many parts of the world. The move towards integration is based on the
understanding that fragmentation of policy and implementation is a major impediment to
improving the way environments are used and managed (Morrison et al. 2004). Integration is
widely seen as essential to coastal management for several reasons:
1. marine, terrestrial, and estuarine environments all interact in the coastal zone;
2. coastal areas must be managed for multiple use; and
3. there are both many people and groups with claims to land or resources claims,
and many government agencies, civil society groups and private sector forces
involved in coastal governance (Tobey and Volk 2002).
Consequently there is a significant potential for fragmentation, duplication and competing
policies and agendas.
This report examines environmental governance in Fiji and identifies the strategic issues for
improving the governance of coastal environments. The analysis provided here is based on: (i)
fieldwork, involving extensive interviews with government and non-government personnel,
conducted by the author in Fiji in September 20042
, (ii) a review of a range of Fiji government
(and non-government) policy documentation, and (iii) a review of the academic literature on
integrated coastal and environmental management and governance.