Riya Mala 
[File Photo]
Fiji faces major gaps in safe drinking water and sanitation, particularly in rural areas.
UNICEF Representative Roshni Basu says only 42% of Fijians have safe drinking water, and just 27% in rural communities.
She warns these gaps threaten health, dignity, and human rights, especially for children and outer-island residents.
Fiji has made progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6, UNICEF says, but safe drinking water and sanitation remain a challenge for many.
“So that is something to be worried about, especially for children and communities in the rural areas in our outer islands. Because, as our Minister rightly put it, it’s a question of human rights and dignity.”
Basu urged participants of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan workshop to provide input, stressing that effective sanitation systems are vital.
Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau says the government is committed to sustainable, climate-resilient solutions.
“Not only for the Ministry but especially for people out there in the rural areas; some don’t have access to water, some have limited access. Currently, when I came in, as I already mentioned in one of the earlier workshops, the half-facade and haphazard manner in which we are progressing with development.”
The ministry will address rural water and sanitation gaps to ensure sustainability and climate resilience, while UNICEF warns these gaps endanger health and human rights, making the master plan vital for safe, equitable access.
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