New seawall brings relief to Taveuni villagers

More than 40 families at Lamini Village in Taveuni will now have better protection against the rising sea levels after the commissioning of their new seawall.

67-year-old Temesio Seniloli says nothing brought them more joy than witnessing such an incentive that would ensure their safety, especially for children.

He says before the inception of the project, seawater would sweep through the village, reaching the main road during storm surges caused by Tropical Cyclones.

While commissioning the seawall, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Tomasi Tunabuna highlighted that the $1.01 million fully government funded and reinforced concrete seawall, which stretches for 320 meters and is raised to 2.5metres, has given villagers a sense of security.

Tunabuna says Fiji was ranked among the top 15 countries with the highest disaster risk.

While acknowledging the previous administration for their role and contribution towards the project, the Assistant Minister also gave assurance that the government will continue with this initiative to reduce the vulnerability of the 675,000 coastal dwellers in the country who depend entirely on the sea for survival.