Proper land management is important for Fiji where land, an important resource, is scarce and needs to be balanced with the different demands placed on it.
Speaking at a two day Geospatial Information Management workshop currently ongoing at the Novotel Convention Centre in Lami, Minister of Primary Industries and Rural and Maritime Development Mr Inia Seruiratu highlighted the importance of land in context of economic development.
He said good land management practices sets the platform for effective sustainable land development and is vital to create a win-win situation not only for the tenants and landowners but also for the nation.
“Unless land professionals practice good governance in land dealings, there are no bounds to unscrupulous activities where not only the landowners and tenants are affected but more importantly the impact on Government’s socio-economic activities,” Mr Seruiratu said.
Geospatial information refers to data describing the location and attributes of features beneath, on or above the earth’s surface including the proper governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forest.
These are in the form of policies and activities such as survey of land for legitimate tenure-ship of land for the sake of food, security and livelihood.
Minister Seruiratu said this geospatial information management was a tool for sustainable development planning, as it sets the platform on which policies can be formulated, implemented and sustained.
The workshop is a joint collaborative effort of the Fijian Government through the Ministry of Lands, the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM).
The meeting will focus addressing inadequacy in knowledge and in technical expertise, particularly expanding on technical approach and efficient processes and good governance in land management.
The meeting is being attended by regional and global experts including FIG president Mr Chee Hai Teo.