Riya Mala 
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael. [Photo: FILE]
Fiji has begun work on its 2026 State of the Environment Report, which will provide a national assessment of the health of the country’s natural resources, ecosystems and environmental challenges.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, says the report will serve as a national “report card” on Fiji’s forests, rivers, reefs, biodiversity, air quality, waste management, climate impacts, and oceans.
Speaking at the National State of the Environment Report 2026 Inception Workshop, Dr Michael says the assessment will provide Government with evidence to guide future environmental policies and investments.
He adds the report is a legal requirement under the Environment Management Act 2005 and will also help measure the effectiveness of recent environmental reforms.
Dr Michael says the 2026 report will assess 37 indicators across 21 environmental areas, including climate change impacts, threatened species, pollution, waste management and ecosystem resilience.
He says Fiji’s environmental challenges are interconnected, with climate change affecting biodiversity, land degradation impacting water quality, and pollution threatening public health, fisheries and tourism.
The last State of the Environment Report was prepared in 2020 but was not formally endorsed. Dr Michael says the new process will update existing information with the latest scientific evidence and national data.
He says protecting the natural resources is not only an environmental responsibility but also an investment in the country’s economy, culture and future generations.
