We cannot effectively fight against climate change if we are divided as a Vanua.
This was the sentiments of the Turaga na Tui Namuka Ratu Tevita Niumataiwalu while addressing the people of Namuka during their Yaubula Day in Visoqo, Macuata last week.
Ratu Tevita said the intention of the event was to help revive their culture and tradition that has been lost through the generations, which has had an indirect effect on climate change.
He said parents have failed to pass down these traditions to their children, ultimately leading to the abuse of natural resources, adding that a part of their culture encompassed the preservation of natural resources.
Ratu Tevita stressed to resource owners that wealth was not only measured in monetary value.
Wainisi Tuvou of Nabubu Village, Namuka, while speaking at the event, pointed out the changes their environment had undergone in the name of development.
Ms Tuvou said there was a direct correlation between deforestation inland and the scarcity of their marine resources.
She urged members of her tikina to be mindful of the decisions and its impacts on the environment. Namuka is one of the districts that has been actively participating in the ‘4 million Trees in 4 Years’ initiative by the Government through the Ministry of Forestry, in their attempt to restore their natural environment.
The Yaubula Day was an initiative of the Ridge to Reef Programme under the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs to assist villages in protecting their natural resources. The district of Namuka is made up of 12 villages.