Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau. [Photo: FILE]

Fiji is stepping up preparations for possible prolonged dry conditions as El Niño threatens to put pressure on the country’s water supply.

Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau says Fiji has been warned to prepare for drier weather, and the Government is working closely with the National Disaster Management Office to ensure the country is ready.

Ro Filipe adds that water security is a major priority, particularly as climate change continues to create more extreme weather conditions.

Fiji’s Water Plan 2050 provides a long-term roadmap for meeting the country’s growing water needs and developing the infrastructure required to secure water supplies.

“And also the infrastructure needed to address those, plus some details on financing strategies. So that’s quite critical as we move forward. And for us as a nation, some of these planning documents have been lacking in the past. As we came in as a Government in 2022, these were areas which we needed to really improve and work on as we move forward. So that’s for the roads infrastructure in terms of the Fiji Roads Authority.”

Ro Filipe adds that climate resilience cannot focus only on water, with reliable roads and energy infrastructure also essential for communities during climate-related emergencies.

Acting British High Commissioner to Fiji Steph Lysaght says Pacific communities must be at the centre of climate action, with their local knowledge helping to find better ways to build climate resilience.

“We couldn’t have done that with outside teams of consultants. People know their environments, they know their seas, they know their reefs. You have to take local people along with you. So this is a fantastic example of why it’s important, but also how we do it.”

The Government says it is working with development partners to strengthen climate-resilient infrastructure and ensure communities are better prepared for the impacts of El Niño.