Riya Mala 
Rural communities in Fiji continue to face major challenges with water supply and sanitation.
Fiji Rural Water and Sanitation Master Plan Lead Consultant Nicholas Pilgrim highlighted this, stating that over a thousand villages remain without reliable services, particularly in the outer islands.
Pilgrim stresses that gathering baseline data and targeting underserved villages is critical.
He says the plan focuses on underserved communities with division-based programs for sustainable water and sanitation.
“Fiji is gathering baseline data on water supply and sanitation, and the critical point I want to share here is that about 1,600 villages were identified. About 463 are linked into the WAF urban water supply systems, but this still means that over a thousand villages and settlements remain under the rural program.”
Investments have reached urban centres, but Pilgrim warns that remote settlements remain neglected.
Public Works Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau says the plan ensures solutions by bringing stakeholders together and completing strategic planning.
“And the drafts in terms of regulatory and legal changes are already there. We will be working closely with the AG’s office on that. At the same time, the ministry will also be working on implementation preparations.”
The Fiji Rural Water and Sanitation Master Plan aims to provide every village with sustainable water and sanitation services, with a focus on remote and outer island communities.
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