News - Mar 21, 2024 Qoma Village Taking Up the “Waste” Initiative

The village of Qoma, in Fiji, has taken steps to segregate and self-haul wastes generated to regulated dumpsites. Following a community awareness programme facilitated by the iTaukei Affairs Board, Tailevu Provincial Office, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme through the European Union-funded PacWaste Plus programme, community members now understand health and environmental impact of improper waste management and choose to implement the local management practices for waste management.

The community, located on the northwest coast of Viti Levu, does not have waste collection services. Waste was either burnt or dumped into the environment.  Following the community awareness, the village revived its Yaubula Committee (Environment Management Committee) to take charge of proper waste management, and natural resource conservation in the village.

The leader of Qoma’s Yaubula Committee, Mr. Samisoni Kalou said “Our village now understands the impact of waste on the environment and is choosing to make a difference. We now separate and take our cans and bottles to the nearest community on Viti Levu for collection; and nappies, previously disposed in the ocean, are now taken for disposal at the nearest sanitary landfill”.

After learning of the health implications of burning plastic, the local women’s group has established a collection system and meets every Thursday to weave this material into wallets and crafts for sale.

The Qoma community is engaging in the PacWaste Plus project to introduce a composting programme that will process all organic wastes generated in the village. The project will explore ways to divert pig manure, currently polluting the nearby lagoon, and manage other organic waste items not used as pig feed.

SPREP through the GEF ISLANDS project, will install recyclable storage facilities, and introduce a garbage collection service to further support the community in effectively managing the waste.