Monday, August 22, 2011

Nausori vulnerable to climate change

Mary Rauto in the Fiji Times online: The protection of key infrastructure from climate change is important. Speaking at the opening of the baseline report presentation and vulnerability assessment for Nausori Urban and peri-urban area, Deputy Director Environment Aminiasi Qariqari said no nation, large or small, wealthy or poor, could escape the impact of climate change.

He said a team of consultants have been conducting research and assessing the Nausori area for its vulnerabilities to climate change, especially during extreme weather conditions. "The protection of key Infrastructure is vital as it supports or interconnects with other sectors within the Nausori urban center and peri-urban project area," he said.

"These other sectors also play a key role in the effects of climate change on the project area and also its exacerbation of climate change impacts." Mr Qariqari said Nausori or the Rewa delta was flood-prone and of concern was the impact of extreme floods on key infrastructure skeleton to the operational well-being of the population of Nausori, its surroundings and those who accessed it.

"The identification of these risks and vulnerable assets with appropriate implementation of adaptation plans before an extreme climatic event occurs would assist in the sustainable existence of the urban centre in the future," he said….

Taken by Merbabu in Fijian village of Navala in the Nausori Highlands in mid 2000, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

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