Bose Vavataga 
[Photo: BOSE VAVATAGA]
Fiji must strengthen the way it collects and uses data if it is to tackle growing waste management challenges and build a more sustainable future.
This was highlighted by Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lenora Qereqeretabua, while speaking at the opening of the Pacific Recycling Foundation’s Data Digitalisation Workshop in Nadi.
Qereqeretabua said Fiji must move away from fragmented information and isolated efforts if it is to address growing waste management challenges effectively.
She commended the partnership between the Pacific Recycling Foundation and the University of New South Wales, noting that meaningful progress is achieved when practical experience, academic research, and policy development work together.
Qereqeretabua said reliable data is essential for informed decision-making, helping governments, development partners, and organisations plan effectively, measure impact, and develop evidence-based policies.
She also stressed that digitalisation should be people-centred, serving as a tool to improve transparency, coordination, and access to information while strengthening, rather than replacing, local knowledge and community voices.
Qereqeretabua noted that many Pacific Island nations face similar waste management challenges and said the knowledge generated through the workshop could provide valuable lessons for the wider region.
The workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, municipal councils, academia, industry, civil society, and development partners to explore ways of improving Fiji’s reverse logistics systems and data architecture.
