[Source: Fijian Government / Facebook]

The Ministry of Environment is mindful of the number of environmental damage caused by development that is irreversible in nature.

Minister Doctor Mahendra Reddy while speaking during the Commemoration of World Day to Combat Land Desertification, Degradation and Drought says, holistic approaches are needed to reverse some of the trends.

Dr Reddy says the effects of climate change are also an issue and will only be aggravated if we fail to implement mitigation activities that can support conservation goals effectively.

He says this is crucial as we also work to secure our food sources.

“We are saying that for the short-term gain, we don’t want to compromise our environment, our biodiversity which will affect the quality of life of our future generations. That is why we are very particular in requiring that any investment that interacts with our biodiversity must undertake an Environment Impact Assessment.”

Dr Reddy says action can be taken at all levels, from citizens, businesses, governments, NGOs, private partners, and academia.

This commitment is articulated in the Ministry of Agriculture Operation plan 2021-2022 specifically indicating the need to improve the adoption of sustainable resource management and climate-smart agriculture.