EMPOWERING RURAL COMMUNITIES: FIRST-EVER RURAL WATER COMMITTEE TRAINING WORKSHOP OPENED IN TAILEVU

07/10/2024

A three-day workshop on how to maintain water infrastructure at the village level was opened this morning by the Minister for Public Works, Hon. Ro Filipe Tuisawau, at Nayavu Village, Wainibuka, in the province of Tailevu. 
 
This Rural Water Committee Training Workshop, the first of its kind in the province, is a crucial step toward empowering rural communities to take ownership of their water resources. The goal of the workshop is to ensure every village has access to clean, safe, and sustainable water, along with proper sanitation. 

The workshop is being conducted in partnership with UNICEF. The Minister also acknowledged the Department of Water and Sewerage, the Water Authority of Fiji and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services for their coordination and facilitation efforts.
 
“Water is essential for life. It sustains us, nourishes our crops, and keeps our communities healthy. Managing this resource requires knowledge, dedication, and a shared sense of responsibility,” Minister Tuisawau stated.
 
This training workshop aims to equip our Rural Water Committees with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage water systems, maintain water quality, and ensure the long-term sustainability of water.
 
Participants will learn how to monitor water systems, conduct repairs, and ensure that the water reaching households is safe for consumption. In addition, they will gain insights into proper sanitation practices essential for preventing waterborne diseases and protecting the health of their communities.
 
“Today’s training focuses on building self-reliant and independent water infrastructure for rural villages. This will strengthen their capacity to be more self-sufficient, which aligns with the government’s goals. While the government will continue to support higher infrastructure costs, we aim for villages to be less reliant on external assistance for their day-to-day needs.” 
 
While some villages are connected to the water mains, others have standalone systems and the Ministry is focusing on their infrastructure development.
 
“The Fiji Water Sector Strategy 2050 includes all the necessary components. The goal is to ensure that these needs are integrated into the annual budget. We also need to plan for larger infrastructure projects that will take 5-10 years to complete by outlining the scope and technical specifications and conducting feasibility studies.” 

The work is ongoing at the moment and it is crucial to have a financing model in place, whether it's through climate financing with our development partners or through the regular budget.
 
“The current focus is on planning, implementing, analysing, and specifying technical requirements to ensure continuous development and progress. This has been our focus for the past 12 months and will continue for the next 5-10 years, extending up to 2050,” said Minister Tuisawau.
 
“The Fiji Water Sector Strategy 2050 is a clear pathway forward in terms of the needs analysis which had been done, what needs to be done at a particular point in time and capital programs to be ongoing and rolling into the year 2050.”