Partnership Between People
& Land
The Natadola Marine Resort project aims to be
the best example of sustainable development in Fiji.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), updated
in 2005, specifies guidelines for the developers to adhere to
in order to avoid negatively impacting on the social and cultural
setting and on the natural environment of Natadola Bay.
Socially, the EIA outlines the best practices
when dealing with the people who have lived in Natadola for
centuries, and especially the people of Sanasana Village, who
own the land on which the resort is developed.
The Sanasana people get priority of employment
on the Natadola project during the construction phase and when
the various facilities are operating.
Currently more than 100 people from the village
and people are being trained every day.
Weekly meetings are held with the landowners to
discuss issues that may have arisen so that any misunderstanding
is minimized and to prepare them for the new lifestyle that
is inevitable with the building of a resort right on their doorstep.
Natadola has a great potential for tourism because
of the uniqueness and beauty of the site but guidelines in the
EIA are strictly being implemented to ensure that the natural
and cultural environment are not overly disturbed. The challenge
will be to protect and promote them in a sustainable way.
Already, an Environmental Management Plan is being
set up to ensure the pristine Natadola Beach is affected little
with the influx of development and people. Beach rangers are
already active in keeping people who visit and use the beach
informed of environmental concerns.
The beach is public and will stay public for ever.
The challenge is to convince the public to be a part of our
beach management protection. We have to explain to them why
now it's forbidden to park their car on the sand and why lighting
open fires on the beach is also prohibited.
All these regulations have been put in place to protect the vegetation on the beach, which is natural net that helps to keep the shape of the bay and avoid erosion. Since the last survey we have noticed that the high water mark is returning to normal and the size of the beach has slightly increased.
There are also many sensitive sites like the mangroves and the archeological sites on Navo Island which will be an asset for tourism but need to be protected.
A part of the sustainable management includes building a sewage treatment plant and recycling water for the golf course, infrastructure that's needed to avoid any damage to the marine environment of Natadola Bay during and after the construction of the various resorts.
In the next phase of the project a botanical garden and what will be Fiji's first large-scale fully organic farm will be managed by trained people from Sansana.
More training and education will be provided for the local community over the years – as well as for the wider Fiji population – so that they will be able to continue to manage the area using sustainable methods.
Natadola is huge development with an opportunity for Fiji to establish a sustainable development model for the future generations.
