3 December 2013, Suva, Fiji - We hear from the journalism students providing you
with coverage of the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and
Protected Areas
Mr. Edward Tavanavanua, 19 years, journalism student, USP
"...that as local individuals and
communities, we cannot always turn to government leaders and organisations to
take action against environmental degradation as the onus is on us to be
proactive and work together with them, because we are as much the solution as
we are the cause."
Ms. Josephine Navula, 21 years ,
journalism student, FNU
"...I learnt about the fine example of partnership in Choiseul,
Solomon Islands. Choiseul’s Ecosystem-Based Adaptation project involves the
Solomon Islands Government and several non-government organisations, mainly at
the community level, who work together to raise awareness about the value of
their forests and mangroves. "
Ms. Priya Chand, 22 years, journalism student, USP
"...that basic natural solutions, like
replanting a tree, really do have a huge impact in the conservation of our
environment."
Mr. Eroni Tuinaceva, 22 years , journalism student, FSM
"...the importance of time management. A more accurate way to put it, though, would be that I revisited the importance of time management. This value is of particular importance when one decides to go into the fast-paced, demanding, cut-throat world of journalism. From the start of the day, I seemed to be in ‘catch-up’ mode. I have yet to master this age old art and hope that by the next assignment, I would have gotten myself sorted and I’ll finally be able to stick to the deadlines. Fingers crossed I’ll go through with this goal."
Ms. Shahani Mala, 20 years, journalism student, FNU
"...that the Pacific Islands are doing
what they can to preserve their natural resources and the different environment
issues that need to be addressed and some ways to solve this using natural
solutions."
"...as Pacific Islanders it is our duty to look after the land we live on and the waters we fish in. Our islands may look peaceful but there are many underlying problems that we face that might determine how bright our environmental future is.
A few Pacific Island countries shared their success stories, so it was nice to know that most island countries are actually doing their part to protect their biodiversity. It was interesting to know that some of the islands in the Cook Islands have not been researched yet, and these range from volcanic islands to atolls, a very diverse range of island formations.
A success story from the Cook Islands was presented by Dr Teina Rongo. All the research on these islands was done by Cook Islanders themselves with a more hands-on approach to protecting their marine resources, which includes over 50 different kinds of coral and 200 species of fish.
The 'Natural Solutions' session was informative and interesting. Stuart Chape (from SPREP) talked about climate change issues, and how communities are being undermined when it comes to coping and dealing with climate change.
As the Pacific becomes more urbanised so is the likelihood of these island countries being prone to natural disasters and it is important not to jump for short-term solutions but have a long-term plan because relying entirely on infrastructure solutions is not a solution."
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