The Government of Japan today officially handed over a dredger to the Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry at the Ministry’s Luvuluvu Station in Nausori, strengthening Fiji’s flood mitigation capacity and long-term climate resilience.
Officiating the handover, the Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Japan to Fiji, Mr. Isami Takada, said the dredger—funded under Japan’s Grant Aid for Economic and Social Development—marks a shift from disaster response to long-term resilience.
He noted that in 2020, Japan pledged disaster risk reduction equipment worth JPY 848 million, including tsunami early warning systems, an ice-making plant (already handed over in Lautoka), and the dredger, with the early warning systems to be provided soon to the National Disaster Management Office.
Mr. Takada emphasised that the dredger will reduce flood risks by improving drainage and river mouths, protecting farmland from siltation and waterlogging, and ensuring safer coastal and river navigation—supporting livelihoods before, during and after disasters.
Receiving the dredger, the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, Hon. Tomasi Tunabuna, described the handover as part of the strong and enduring Fiji–Japan partnership.
He highlighted that between 2020 and 2025, the Ministry received excavators, wheel loaders and dump trucks through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects, now actively supporting rural and maritime communities.
Minister Tunabuna stressed Fiji’s vulnerability to climate change and recurring floods that threaten infrastructure, livelihoods and food security.
He said the dredger will be a key asset in clearing silted waterways, increasing river discharge capacity, and protecting agricultural land and communities, while reaffirming the ‘Kizuna’ bond between Fiji and Japan and assuring the dredger’s proper use and maintenance for the benefit of all Fijians.