OVERVIEW OF FORESTS AND TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING SYSTEMS THE FIJIAN PERSPECTIVE

Transcription

1 OVERVIEW OF FORESTS AND TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING SYSTEMS THE FIJIAN PERSPECTIVE

2 THE FOCUS Explore how the western urban planning system accounts for the protection/preservation of forests Institutions and key stakeholders for management of Fiji s forest resource

3 THE CONTEXT OF FIJI Fiji s Basic Statistics Land Area: 18, 270 square km Population: 880,000 approx. Forest cover: 56% (2015) from 52.2% (1990) Annual GDD growth: 3.6% (2015) with agriculture, forestry and fisheries contribution of 0.7% Planning system is influenced by British system.

4 FIJI IN THE OCEANIA

5 FIJI LAND TENURE SYSTEM Basic Land Tenure Statistics Crown Land 5% Freehold -7% Native/Customary 88%

6 THE CONTEXT OF FIJI FOREST COVER

7 THE CONTEXT OF FIJI

8 THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK: WESTERN SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE Two Parallel Systems: 1. Western System of Governance. 2. Village Planning relating to indigenous land.

9 PLANNING SYSTEMS AREAS OF JURISDICTION LEGISLATION STAKEHOLDERS URBAN AREAS TOWN PLANNING ACT (CAP 139), Local Government Act., Subdivision By Laws. RURAL AREAS ( excluding I Taukei Villages) PUBLIC HEALTH ACT( CAP ) and Town Planning Act ( Cap 139). * dtcp has wide powers, Subdivision Of Land Act Local Governments encompassing City Councils and Town Councils, Department Of Town & Country Planning (DTCP) Rural Local Authorities, Central Board Of Health, DTCP. I Taukei Villages and sites I Taukei Affairs affairs Act ( Cap ) Ministry of I Taukei affairs, Provincial Councils, Tikina Councils and Villages

10 FORESTRY AND STAKEHOLDERS FOREST DECREEE -1992: deals with ( replaced Forestry Act of 1953( Cap 150) 1. Declaration of forest Reserves and Nature Reserves. 2. Management Of Forest Reserve and Nature Reserve 3. Issuance of Licences Section 7 (1) Forest reserves shall be managed as permanent forest in order to provide on a permanent basis the optimum combination of protection anof permanent preservation of their environment, including flora, fauna, soil and watershed production of which they are capable Section 7 (2) Nature reserves shall be managed for the exclusive purpose of permanent preservation of their environment including flora, fauna, soil and water. Note that Sustainability of forests is the underlying principle. FOREST BILL 2016 : Provisions are more explicit in that it provides for the full implementation of Fiji Forest Policy It seeks to harmonise legal framework of forestry with more relevant landuse policies and environmental legislation. Also makes provisions for formation of forest associations. -

11 FORESTRY STAKEHOLDERS : Department Of Environment - Ministry Of I Taukei Affairs ( Indigenous Affairs) ITLTB ( I Taukei Land Trust Board) Director Lands Power vested in Director Lands for Land under State Ownership. Non Government Organisations - viz a viz, Conservation International, National Trust Of Fiji Protected Forest Area Sovi Basin.

12 STAKEHOLDERS STAKEHOLDERS Dept of Environment I Taukei Land Trust Board Director Lands and Mineral Resources Ministry Of I Taukei Affairs ( Indigenous affairs) Dept of Town and Country Planning RESPONSIBILITY FOCUS Sustainable Development, EIAs for developments Trustee of indigenous Land Power of ownership of State Land vested in this position. Responsible for all administration of village governance and village planning. Responsible for the overall Planning by virtue of the Town Planning General Order, 1971.

13 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

14 1992 Follow UNCBD UNFCCC UNCCD SID Barbados Action Plan UN Millennium Declaration and Development Goals United Nation Forum on Forest (UNFF 2000) World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) 2007 UNFF 7 4 Global Objectives 7 Thematic Elements NLBI 2012 Rio + 20 Post 2015 SDG

15 FIJI S OBLIGATION TO THE UNCBD Articles Obligation 6 General Measures for Conservation and Sustainable Use 7 Identification and Monitoring 8 In-situ Conservation 9 Ex-situ Conservation 10 Sustainable Use of Components of Biological Diversity 11 Incentive Measures 12 Research and Training 13 Public Education and Awareness 14 Impact Assessment and Minimizing Adverse Impacts 15 Access to Genetic Resources 16 Access to and Transfer of Technology 17 Exchange of Information 18 Technical and Scientific Cooperation 19 Handling of Biotechnology and Distribution of its Benefits 20 Financial Resource 21 Financial Mechanism 22 Relationship with other International Conventions 26 Reports 27 Settlement of Disputes 28 Adoption of Protocols 29 Amendments to the Convention or Protocols 31 The right to Vote

16 STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN POINTERS ( ) INCLUDES FOREST RELATED ACTION POINTS WITHIN THEIR NATIONAL FRAMEWOKS SUCH : RDSSED GGF NBSAP Climate change Policy Draft Fiji Redd Plus Stategy/ Policy SDG- goals applicable to forestry.

17 STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN POINTERS ( ) Strategic development plan to address the following broad areas: Land Use Forest Protection Forest Economics Forest Financing Acknowledges that future role of forests in supporting sustaining development will depend on forest research and development. Also highlighted is the issue of the forestry role in addressing climate change.

18 MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE LAND USE UNIT Ministry of Agriculture Administrative unit of land use to support its overall function. Covers rural areas and its focus is the land capability depending on soil types. Uses the Land Conservation Improvement Act Concern is the use of arable land. Deforested areas tend to be utilised for agriculture or development Land Use Unit uses the land capability perspective when it undertakes its land planning. Forestry is excluded as the Ministry and its Department Of Forests undertake its own Planning Consultation between the two stakeholders only take place as and when the need arises.

19 MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN PLANNING FOR FORESTRY LANDS DEPARTMENT FORESTRY ITLTB DTCP RURAL AUTHORIES AGRICULTURE TOWN AND CITY COUNCILS

20 QUESTION How does the system take into account forestry. At a local level parks and gardens are allocated hoever there is no clear effort to take into account such amenities. Needs to fit in to the defined meaning of forestry. At a regional level can be clearly identified as in the Case Of Colo I suva Park within Greater Suva Area.

21 OBSERVATIONS TOWN AND Country Planning Act has wide powers over urban and rural. Tools are available for the system to use such as: Planning Schemes Regional Plans with the latest development being the Greater Suva Urban Growth Management Plan for the South Eastern portion of Viti Levu. Covers urban and its adjoining rural areas. A draft UGMAP is formulated for the western division known as the Greater West Urban Growth Management Plans and currently going through consultation process. ( latest workshop on 17th March, 2017). Advisory Plans formulated by the DTCP however, this is more reactive than pro active. Another mechanism for examining areas that may be under pressure for development.

22 OBSERVATIONS Role for Planning of Forestry and Land Use Planning is sectoral based. Different stakeholders view their land planning from different perspective. Lands department views planning for development and investment Agriculture department views its land use planning from soil capability purposes Forestry undertakes its planning with declared forest areas Concern with sustainability as underlying philosophy of policies and framework will require more integrated actions.

23 CHALLENGES FOR FIJI Climate change Flooding of low lying areas International Framework, National Policy and Action Framework in conjunction with Planning needs to work in sync. Building Capacities within Planning for Local Governments, Regional level and Rural level Policy Framework of Planning

24 RECOMMENDATIONS A more Integrated Planning approach. Real efforts can be made at a Regional level through mechanism of Urban Policy action Plan (covers urban and peri urban areas) Policy Framework requires strengthening and integration An ecological focus needs to be integrated into the planning system for urban and rural communities Consultative approach including landowners and communities A National Landuse Plan needs to be adopted for all rural Land