Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2011-2015
Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Written, Compiled, and Edited by Katie Drakeford and Daniel Lund
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Introduction
Life in the Yasawa Islands
The GVI Water For Life Program
Our Partners
Water Infrastructure Overview Audit
Community Involvement
Volunteer Training
Impact by Community
Sustainable Sanitation Solutions
Wash Awareness
Disaster Relief Operations
Women and Water
Conclusion
Introduction
Fiji is a country known for white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and colorful coral reefs. The area that best represents
this stereotypical image of Fiji is the Yasawa Islands. Consequently, the Yasawa Island Chain is a popular tourist destination
and tourism an important source of local income. However, despite growing tourism infrastructure, local communities continue to struggle to for one of their basic human rights: the right to safe drinking water.
The Yasawa Island group is an archipelago made up of over 20 volcanic islands that lie west of Viti Levu Island. Some of
these islands have natural springs, while others have water access through boreholes or wells. These water sources are
used primarily for cooking, washing and bathing by communities. Natural water catchment on the islands is poor due to
deforestation and the porous volcanic rock that forms the basis of most islands. For drinking water, the majority of villages rely on rainwater harvesting (RWH), which is a much cleaner and safer source to groundwater . However, during the
increasingly intense and long dry season communities struggle to meet the demand for water especially in the central
and northern Yasawa Islands. In the past villages have relied on brackish water from their springs, boreholes and wells or
on water transported by the Fijian government from Viti Levu. The Yasawa Islands experience some of the hottest and
driest weather conditions in Fiji.
Climate projections and the analysis of rainfall over the past ten years forecasts increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, longer
and more intense dry seasons, higher average temperatures in the Yasawa Islands. Reduced natural rainwater catchment
due to fires and changing land use are also having long term negagive impacts on water catchment. These localized hydro meteorological factors paired with rising sea-levels, increased salt water intrusion, reduced land fertility, and dramatic
beach erosion will continue to pressurize communities abilities to adapt their livelihoods to ensure long term food and
water security for island communities.
Many communities in the region lack the funds and infrastructure to ensure an adequate amount of safe drinking water
throughout the dry season. Rainwater tanks are expensive, weather patterns increasingly unpredictable, and as result there
is more pressure on communities to plan ahead in order to ensure the safe storage of drinking water for longer periods of
time. To successfully collect and store rainwater it is important that communities have the support and training to control
and monitor water collection and ensure the safe storage of water.
The lack of safe drinking water during the dry season impacts education and health in Yasawan communities. Many of the
schools in the Yasawas have boarding students who are then unable to stay on the school grounds during period of water
shortage do to health risks associated with sanitation and a lack of adequent drinking water. For example in 2012, boarding
students at Ratu Meli Memorial School missed 3 weeks of term 3 due to water shortages.
Rainwater Harvesting presents a relatively inexpensive and simple solution to the water problems faced by communities in
the Yasawas. During the rainy season, there is adequate precipitation,that if collected and safely stored, can help to fulfill
the drinking water needs of communities throughout the dry season. However, many villages in the region lacked sufficient
water holding capacity and infrastructure as well as the awareness and training to do so.
In 2011, Global Vision International (GVI) began a long-term Water Security Program designed to increase the capacity of
the region to respond to growing water security issues through a program of assessment, training, awareness, fundraising,
infrastructure improvements, and new infrastructure installation.
GVI is an international non-governmental organization that is primarily funded by volunteers. Volunteers from all over the
world donate their time and money to participate in GVI projects. During the course of the 2011-2014 Wai Ni Bula Water
Security Project volunteers helped fund the materials and provide the labor needed to install RWH systems in ten communities in the Yasawa Islands with the help of key partners and outside funding.
From June 2011 August 2014, GVI personnel developed strong ties within target villages during the assessment, training,
and construction implementation phases of the project.
This report summarizes the impact within each community and the overall region and describes the key lessons learnt over
the course of the 38 month project.
Our Partners
MWH Global
MWH Global is a global wet infrastructure firm, providing
technical engineering, construction services and consulting
solutions to protect, enhance, store and distribute water.
MWH Global made a (NZ)$10,000 donation to the GVI Water
For Life Program and continues to act as a key funding partner for water security operations in Fiji. Over 207,900 liters of
rainwater collection capacity were made available through
the combination of new system installations and efficiency
improvements and major repairs to existing infrastructure.
In August 2012, GVI Fiji produced a 168 page audit detailing the condition of water infrastructure across ten of the most
drought prone villages in the
central/northern Yasawas. This
document, represented one of
the most in-depth assessments
of infrastructure historically in
the region and was utilized as
the benchmark for designing
GVIs program priorities and
funding strategy
Household Surveys
One of the first steps in the process in each community was to conduct surveys in each household in order to create a
profile for each community complete with key information on population size, gender split, information on employment
and livelihoods, and data on relative level of education of each community (see Appendix A). The surveys also collect
specific information on issues with water usage, and estimated village demand for drinking water in relation to population . However, the surveys are not always representative of the correct amount of water needed to satisfy the minimum
requirements for drinking water in a community (3L per person per day). Therefore, GVI uses a basic calculation to obtain
the demand from drinking water in a community.
The minimum RWH capacity required by each village was calculated by multiplying the population by 3 liters of drinking
water multiplied again by 180 days in the dry season. Since the Yasawa Islands have a very distinct dry and wet season
for half the year each, the number of days in the dry season is simply half the year. This calculation results in the minimum
about of holding capacity required to ensure that a community has 3 liters per person per day for half the year assuming
that at the beginning of the dry seasons it was possible for all tanks to be full. This is obviously not possible to ensure and
is unlikely, however the calculation provides a starting point for developing a minimum base line and does not take into
account other water sources such as wells from which water can be boiled to be made potable. As a result, this calculation was seen to be conservative enough to provide a useful and realistic baseline for the project.
After household surveys, water infrastructure surveys are carried out in order to audit the available sources, RWH holding capacity, and specific problems faced (see Appendix B). With information on the demand for drinking water and the
available supply, GVI personnel were then able to determine specific priorities and needs with each community in relation
to demonstrated capacity deficits and infrastructure gaps.
Site Assessments
After the completion of the large scale water audit of the region - various phases of site assessments were carried out
throughout the process to asses current fresh water sources and determine ideal locations for future RWH systems. Site
assessments include village mapping to identify distribution of households and water sources. RWH systems are ideally
dispersed throughout a community, allowing household usage to be spread across all tanks evenly. Houses identified for
RHW systems must meet the following criteria:
A large galvanized steel sheet roof that is not painted or rusted. If a roof is painted, ensure that it is not lead-based
paint
A roof that is high enough for the down pipe to have an adequate slope from fascia board to tank for system to collect
maximum water
The fascia board must be in place and not rotting. Ensure roof overhangs the fascia board by the correct distance for
the guttering to catch the rainfall runoff.
Components of rainwater harvesting system and installation process
The rainwater harvesting systems installed by GVI offer a basic means by which to capture rainfall from a surface and
divert it into storage. The systems are designed to use locally sourced hardware and utilize the most cost effective and
durable materials available locally. Once materials are sourced, shipped, and transported to the work site. The following
steps can all be completed within 2-5 days.
Construction of concrete base (should be 2ft larger than the diameter of the tank
commonly 5,300L = 7ft x 7ft base and 10,000L = 8ft x 8ft base)
Installation of brackets to fascia board at correct pitch
Installation of guttering
Cleaning and sealing of tank
Installation of tank, connection of down pipe from guttering to tank
Installation of tap to tank
Construction of drainage area below tap
Community involvement
When working with communities to install or improve water infrastructure, GVI
aims to ensure sustainability by involving community members in each step of
the project.
Prior to commencing any work in a community, GVI presents a sevusevu to
that community. This is a traditional way of asking permission for being in the
village by presenting the village with a gift of kava root . This ceremony often
provides a forum to discuss the objectives of the program and further introduce the concept and aims of the operation.
Once permission is granted and objectives discussed, GVI staff engage with
key community stakeholders and committee members to collect more in depth
data on the water profile of the community.
During the construction phase of projects, village youth and other community
members are tasked by the village leadership to support with the construction
and are given specific training when working alongside volunteers. Finally, and
most importantly, following any infrastructure improvement or the installation
of new RWH systems, GVIs personnel provide a presentation on how to maintain the tanks and safely store and collect water (see Appendix C). This presentation provides key information on common problems, price of materials and
why it is important to regularly clean the RWH systems. This information is also
given to community members informally as the construction is taking place. It
is vital to ensure the community has the tools to deal with any issues that arise
in the future.
Volunteer training
New RWH systems are ideally installed by a maximum of three GVI volunteers supported by as many interested community members as possible and supervised by one GVI staff member. Volunteers are given specific training and orientation before they take part in any construction activities. The training provides an overview of how site assessments
are carried out, a step by step guide to how a RWH system is installed, health and safety and cultural information. The
remainder of the training is carried out on site as the volunteers are guided through each stage of the project.
Impact By Community
Enedala Settlement
Enedala Settlement
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
Enedala Settlement
10000
5000
Naisisili Village
Naisisili
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
Naisisili
40000
20000
0
Nacula Village
Nacula
250000
200000
150000
100000
Nacula
50000
Additional capacity
added through
additional RWH
Systems
Addiitonal Capacity
Current Existing
made available
Capacity post-Water
through infrastructure
For Life program
repairs,
refurbishments, and
upgrades
10000
5000
0
Malakati Village
67,700 liters added
6 new RWH systems installed
4 existing systems refurbished
Malakati
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
Malakati
10000
0
Intial RWH
Capacity
Additional
Addiitonal
Current Existing
capacity added Capacity made Capacity postthrough
available
Water For Life
additional RWH
through
program
Systems
infrastructure
repairs,
refurbishments,
and upgrades
Navotua Village
Navotua
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
Navotua
20000
10000
0
Matacawalevu Village
Matacawalevu
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
Matacawalevu
10000
5000
0
Additional capacity
added through
additional RWH
Systems
Addiitonal Capacity
Current Existing
made available
Capacity post-Water
through infrastructure
For Life program
repairs,
refurbishments, and
upgrades
Vuaki Village
Vuaki
200000
180000
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
Vuaki
Intial RWH Capacity Additional capacity Addiitonal Capacity Current Existing
added through
made available Capacity post-Water
additional RWH through infrastructure For Life program
Systems
repairs,
refurbishments, and
upgrades
Nabukeru Village
Nabukeru
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
Nabukeru
30000
20000
10000
Intial RWH
Capacity
Additional
Addiitonal
Current Existing
capacity added
Capacity made
Capacity postthrough
available through Water For Life
additional RWH
infrastructure
program
Systems
repairs,
refurbishments,
and upgrades
Tamasua Village
Tamasua
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
Tamasua
20000
10000
0
Intial RWH
Capacity
Additional
Addiitonal
Current
capacity added Capacity made
Existing
through
available
Capacity postadditional RWH
through
Water For Life
Systems
infrastructure
program
repairs,
refurbishments,
and upgrades
Yaqeta Village
Yaqeta
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
250000
200000
150000
Additional capacity
added through additional
RWH Systems
100000
Yaqeta
RMMS
Navotua
Vuaki
Matacawalevu
Enedala
Nabukeru
Malakati
Naisisili
Tamasua
50000
Nacula
WASH Awareness
For Schools
With Communities
For Mothers
With Leaders
In response, further follow up WASH training through workshops as well as basic maintenance support was provided. Communities were
encouraged to continue to demonstrate best practice and to ensure that all community members work together to secure tanks and
ensure efficient collection potential throughout year.
The recent site visits concluded that accountability for maintenace and source upkeep was one of the major challenges in many communities. Though the provision of training and WASH awareness significantly improved community rain water harvesting performance in
communities where workshop attendance and community engagement was high - the overall quality of upkeep across all RWH systems
in any one community was fairly inconsistant in all the target communities.
The importance of securing tanks in order to keep water free free from mosquitoes, vermin and debris while keeping catchment areas clean is in general the main maintenance concerns when storing water long term in basic tanks. Ensuring that as many community
members as possible have anunderstanding of the serious health risks involved if water sources are contaminated remains a key focus for
water awareness nation wide.
Across the ten communities involved in the intiative, WASH teams recorded varying levels of involvement. The community members
who have been heavily involved with the process from training to construction have been invaluable. Each of these individuals helped to
improve the process of implementation.
Active interest from village leadership in target villages was vital to ensure success. The proactive involvement of theTuraga ni koro in
Matacawalevu, Vuaki and Enedala demonstrated how much can be achieved through the active partnership between GVI and communities when key leaders were fully engaged with the importance of water security. The level of engagement demonstrated by village youth, village leadership, and womens groups was pivitol in influencing the sustainability of the RWH systems.
Although within each target village there were existing water committees within the community stucture busy and disjointed community
routines have continued to impact the productivity of communal intiatives in many of the areas of the Yasawas where tourism is a major
source of income.
The split between families involved with traditional subsistance lifestyles and the lifesytles of families reliant on tourism for paid employement has impacted traditional communalism and village acitvity planning and leadership. This fracture was apparent in the target
villages based nearby to tourism infrastucture.
In these communities workshop attendance was not has high as it was in the more remote villages. Individual involvement in the entire
process is important to create ownership, skills, and motivation and as a result the successs of the capacity buulding process from training to construction was highly dependant on high levels of consistant attendance.
Though most upkeep issues with RWH systems are simple problems that can be easily fixed, if these issues go unaddressed large quantities of drinking water can be impacted either through contamination or ineefficnet collection.
GVI worked with village leadership to identify key points of contact for each RWH system to ensure source protection and upkeep.
Information packs for water wardens were distributed across target villages - these packs include methodologies and resources to help
communities mainatain village wide rainwater collection and storage networks and respond to the differing challenges and preparation
requirements that define both dry and wet seasons.
Conclusion
Rainwater harvesting has the potential to provide a safe primary water source for remote island communities.
CC DRR
tool kit, lessons learned, capacity built - physical and community
Through the hard work of national and international volunteers and with the generous support of
a wide range of partners, stakeholders,and donors the Yasawa Water For Life program has had a significant impact on the water security of the target area of this remote and disaster- vulnerable island chain .
Over the course of its three and a half year life span and project cycle, GVI
has
installed
40
RWH
tanks
and
improved
or
repaired
over
82
RWH
systems.
The spring does not always give us enough water to use for Mr Sikeli Koro
drinking and cooking. The rainwater tanks you have provided School Manager
will really help us!.
Dawasamu Secondary School
Before MWH and GVI brought the water tanks people relied
on a spring which is dammed behind the village for drinking
water. But with heavy rain, the spring gets muddy and the
drinking water gets dirty so it is much safer to get drinking
water from the rainwater tanks. Over Christmas, many people
I must acknowledge the effort by the GVI team to improve
who have moved to the mainland return to the village and
essence of life to the youth, school children and the commusince they are not used to drinking water from the spring it is
nity at large.
important to have rainwater for them to drink so they dont get
sick.
Mr Secci Waqabaca
Fiji Ministry of Youth and Sports
Mr Meli Rainima
Matacawalevu Village Headman
Mr Selema Natovi
Chief of Matacawalevu Village
Water is always a major problem in the Western Division during the dry season. A proactive approach is being taken
so that people do not suffer during the dry season.
Mr. Joeli Cawaki
Commissioner Western 2013
GVI Fiji employs a holistic approach to community support and development integrating local youth and international volunteer led programs to promote sustainable village infrastructure, educational enrichment, and environmentally
conscious resource use. GVI works with local stakeholders to make valuable contributions to remote communities in a
culturally sensitive way.
World Youth Student Travel
GVI Fiji Outstanding Volunteer Project Award Winner 2013