Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Sakiasi Ditoka has revealed that 26 new evacuation centre projects have been approved for implementation across Fiji, including both retro-fitting and new construction works.
Responding to Opposition MP Vijay Nath in Parliament regarding developemnts of evacuation centres in Fiji, Ditoka says the projects will be distributed across the four divisions — five in the Central, eight in the Western, seven in the Northern, and six in the Eastern Division.
The Minister says the initiative is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthen community resilience and improve disaster preparedness in rural and maritime areas.
He says that in the 2024–2025 financial year, a similar allocation of $1 million enabled the implementation of 30 evacuation centre projects nationwide — 11 in the Central, seven in the Northern, six in the Eastern, and six in the Western Division.
Among these, Ditoka highlighted key projects such as the retro-fitting of the Yalobi Village Evacuation Centre in Waya, Yasawa; the construction of the Vio Evacuation Centre in Lautoka; and the Vaturomulo Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centre in Vaturova, Cakaudrove, which is nearing completion.
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The Minister also stresses that the growing demand for evacuation centres reflects Fiji’s evolving climate risk profile, with stronger cyclones, frequent flooding, and coastal inundation posing increasing challenges to rural and maritime communities.
He says the Ministry’s approach is now shifting from reactive shelter provision to proactive, risk-informed, and inclusive infrastructure development.
Ditoka says this shift aligns with the Fijian National Adaptation Plan, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy, and the National Disaster Risk Management Act.
