Yvonne Ravula 
Permanent Secretary for Environment, Dr Sivendra Michael. [Photo: FILE]
A three-day workshop is underway to strengthen awareness of the Environment Management Act (Amendment) 2025 and promote Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
Permanent Secretary for Environment, Dr Sivendra Michael, says the updated 20-year-old law addresses long-standing gaps and improves how environmental governance is applied in Fiji. He stressed that the key challenge is not the law itself, but its consistent implementation.
“The real issue is not the absence of the law, it’s the application of the legislation. And the application of the legislation in a way that we have.”
He said reforms will strengthen compliance and coordination across agencies, including improved monitoring of EIA conditions and a more streamlined review process.
SPREP Director for Environmental Governance, Jope Davetanivalu, highlighted the importance of integrity, collaboration, and integrating gender considerations into environmental decision-making.
The workshop aims to improve understanding of the amended Act and ensure more consistent, inclusive environmental assessments nationwide.
