FIJI

COUNTRY PRESENTATION

REGIONAL GROUP MEETING (EGM) ON GEO-REFERENCED INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT (GEO-

DRM) AND SUSTAINING THE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (COP)

SAMUELA.KANAINALIWAEO EMERGENCY PLANNING & CO-ORDINATION UNITNATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT OFFICE

SCOPE

¨ Overview

¨ Background of GIS in Fiji

¨ Administration

¨ Status

¨ Challengers

¨ Way forward

¨ Recommendation

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

¨ Fiji covers a total area of some 194,000 square kilometres (75,000 sq mi) of which around 10% is land.

¨ Fiji is the hub of the South West Pacific, midway between Vanuatu and Tonga. The archipelago is located between 176° 53′ east and 178° 12′ west. The 180° meridian runs through Taveuni but the International Date Line is bent to give uniform time (UTC+12) to all of the Fiji group.

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

¨ With the exception of Rotuma, the Fiji group lies between 15°42′ and 20° 02′ south. Rotuma is located 220 nautical miles (410 km; 250 mi) north of the group, 360 nautical miles (670 km; 410 mi) from Suva, 12° 30′ south of the equator.

¨ Fiji consists of 322 islands (of which 106 are inhabited) and 522 smaller islets. The two most important islands are Viti Levuand Vanua Levu, which account for approximately three-quarters of the total land area of the country. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1,324 metres (4,341 ft), and covered with thick tropical forests. The highest point is Mount Tomanivi on Viti Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three-quarters of the population. Other important towns include Nadi (the location of the international airport), and Lautoka, Fiji's second city with large sugar cane mills and a seaport.

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

¨ The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasaand Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just off Nadi) and YasawaGroup, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, off Suva, and the remote Lau Group. Rotuma, some 270 nautical miles (500 km; 310 mi) north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji.

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

¨ Fiji is considered one of the most multi-racial countries of the South Pacific with the indigenous Fijians or the ‘i-taukei’ and the Indians as the highest ranking in population. By 2007, the population census recorded that the indigenous Fijians contributed the largest to the population.

Source: Bureau of Statistics

ADMINISTRATION

¨ National

¨ 4 Divisions: Central, Western, Eastern & Northern

¨ 27 Districts

¨ 1171 Villages

¨ 13 Municipalities

¨ Settlements

¤ Legal – on lease and owned land

¤ tenancy at will

DIVISIONAL & DISTRICT LEVELSDIVISIONAL & DISTRICT LEVELS

Commissioner Commissioner Eastern DivisionEastern Division

CommissionerCommissionerNorthern DivisionNorthern Division

Commissioner Commissioner Central DivisionCentral Division

Commissioner Commissioner Western DivisionWestern Division

••DO DO RakirakiRakiraki••DO DO TavuaTavua••DO DO NadarivatuNadarivatu••DO DO BaBa••Do Do Lautoka/YasawaLautoka/Yasawa••DO DO NadiNadi••DO DO SigatokaSigatoka••DO DO KeiyasiKeiyasiTotal = 8Total = 8

••DO DO KorovouKorovou••DO DO RewaRewa••Do Do TailevuTailevu••Do Do NamosiNamosi••DO DO SeruaSerua••DO SuvaDO Suva••DO DO VunidawaVunidawa

Total = 7Total = 7

••DO DO TaveuniTaveuni••DO DO SavusavuSavusavu••DO DO TukavesiTukavesi••DO DO SaqaniSaqani••DO DO BuaBua••DO DO MacuataMacuata••DO DO WainikoroWainikoro••DO DO SeaqaqaSeaqaqaTotal = 8Total = 8

••DO LauDO Lau••DO DO LomaivitiLomaiviti••DO DO KadavuKadavu••DO DO RotumaRotuma

Total = 4Total = 4

GIS IN FIJI

¨ In 1990 the Ministry of Lands with the assistance of the New Zealand government (NZAID) established the Land Information System (GIS) strategy in Fiji.

¨ 5 main objectives for this strategy were as follows:-

1. To establish an appropriate organisation structure, i.e. a Fiji Land Information Council (FLIC)

2. To support a programme of LIS training to ensure that in the long-term the management and development of a national LIS can be in the hands of local personnel with a diminishing reliance on overseas expertise.

3. To develop a set of data standards necessary for the implementation of a national LIS and efficient transfer of digital data between agencies.

4. To promote the concept of data custodianship.

5. To establish a directory of Land Information.

ORGANISATION & STRUCTURE

¨ Fiji Land Information Council (FLIC)

To ensure a coordinated approach to the development of a national Land Information Strategy a Land Information Council comprising of senior representatives was established.

¨ Members of FLIC include:-

1. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands & Mineral Resources (Chairman)

2. Permanent Secretary, Housing & Urban Development

3. Permanent Secretary, Finance & Economic Planning

4. Permanent Secretary, iTaukei Affairs

5. Permanent Secretary, Provincial Development

6. General Manager, iTaukei Land Trust Board

7. Representative of the Public Service Commission

8. The Solicitor General

9. The FLIC reports to the Chairman who is seen to be the most compatible to the LIS objective.

To ensure a coordinated approach functions of FLIC include

¨ The development and coordination of all LIS projects

¨ The definition funding and resourcing all approved LIS projects

¨ The formulation of policies on data generation and management in the agencies encompassed by the LIS umbrella such as data standards & the use and dissemination of LIS data-including pricing, privacy, security and access

¨ Training and education

¨ Liaison with private sector and the user community

¨ Ensuring the LIS projects are properly cost-justified and that projects timetables are adhered to

¨ The management and direction of the LIS support Centre

¨ The publication of information to keep all sectors of the community informed on progress and products

Fiji Land Information Support Centre (FLIS)

¨ In order to carry out the Council’s decisions a secondary structure, Fiji Land Information Support Centre (FLIS) was established in 1992 as secretariat to the Council and ensuring that all decisions made were implemented, coordinated and monitored.

Achievements

¨ Database Applications:-

• Survey Plan & Parcels Journal System – Recording of Survey Plan details and Parcel details. This system also tracks Survey Plans during the approval and approval process.

• Valuation Record System – Development of Valuation Record System

• Lease Administration / Rental System – Recording of all details and processes in the Lease Registering Process

• Road Index System – Register of all Legal Roads on Fiji

• Register of Titles System – Records of all Geodetic Stations and Network

• Native Grant and Crown Grant Register

• State Land Register – Detailed Historical Information in State Land

Achievements

¨ Spatial/Mapping Applications

• Computerized Cadastral Mapping System (CCMS) – This was the conversion of all old and manual imperial record sheets to be converted to digital in metric scales.

• Fiji Topographical Database – Digital Maps in six themes (Transport, Hydro, Terrain, Survey (Places), Structure and Vegetation. This is the base of all published maps

• Native Land Commission (NLC) Maps – Conversion on Historical Native Land Units Maps to Digital

• Qoliqoli Maps – Digital Mapping of all Native Fishing Rights Boundaries

• Native and Crown Grant Maps

• State Land Maps – maps of original transfers to State

• Vanuaview – A Spatial Data Viewer

GIS Status in Fiji

GEO-PORTAL

¨Established and installed on 3RD – 7TH

March,2013

¨UNESCAP

Status of Geospatial Information in Fiji (cont…)

¨ Draft National Geospatial Strategy

¤Circulated for discussion amongst FGIC members

¤ Public consultation to be conducted

è Tabled to Cabinet in June, 2014 for Cabinet

Decision

Current Geo-DRM in Fiji

¨ Three (3) installations;

¤NDMO

¤Commissioner Central Division

Office (CCD)

¤ Fiji Geospatial Information Support Centre (FGISC)

Hardware and Staffing

No. Agency Installation mode/capacity

No. GIS staffs No. of IT staffs

1 NDMO Server 6 2

2 CCD Stand alone computer

0 2

3 FGISC Server 10 8

Technical Problem

¨ Metadata

¤ Lack of knowledge in what is “metadata”

¤ Less organisation has a metadata of their data.

¨ Geo-portal vs Arc GIS usageGeo-portal Arc GIS online

Less Usage More Usage

Less knowledge More Knowledge

Less Capacity /Awareness/Support

Moderate capacity/awareness & support

Technical Problem (cont…)

¨ Data Sharing

¤ Agencies reluctant to share data.

¤Draft National Geospatial strategy which emphasise on data sharing.

¨ GIS/Remote Sensing Capacity

Agencies Capacity Level Other comments

Government Agencies Very little knowledge Need capacity building on their respective areas e.g. NDMO

Utility Companies Moderate knowledge Need RS training and analysis

CHALLENGES TO GIS and GEO-DRM

¨ Capacity building – not fully qualified officers

¨ Cost of software

¨ Very limited use/analysis of remote sensing data

¨ Access to Data

¨ Introduction and Integration of Data

¨ Sharing of Data

¨ STILL NOT APPRECIATED AS A TOOL IN FACILITATING DECISION MAKING!

WAY FORWARD

¨ Establishment of GIS Unit/ Officer

¨ Training & Work Attachments

¨ Encourage data sharing

¨ Funds for software – recognised as an important tool for planning for decision making

¨ NDMO to collaborate more with agencies that have established their GIS in Fiji.

¨ Establish a geospatial unit within NDMO and also include IT (Network Administrators & Programmers).

¨ NDMO to venture into purchasing enterprise license for GIS & Remote Sensing activities.

Recommendation

• Continuation of training assistance by UNESCAP.

• Capacity building in using GIS/RS software.

• UNESCAP assist in upgrade and Install GEO-Portal in the new NDMO Office

THANK YOU VINAKA