Human Activities and Flood Hazards and Risks in the South West Pacific: a Case Study of the Navua Catchment Area, Fiji Islands

Human activity is increasingly becoming a factor contributing to 'disasters' that occur worldwide. As evident in the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the high levels of loss of life and livelihood, and damage to property were largely due to the population density and human development of the physical landscape of the stricken region. The magnitude of natural hazards coupled with the high population density and low levels of development can have disastrous or catastrophic impacts on a nation as a whole, especially in small island states. Furthermore, the lack of governance structures, legislative compliance, and regulatory land use and planning coupled with the perception of risk of the general public, can all contribute to the magnitude of disasters. The flood plains of Navua, a small rural town outside of Fiji's capital and prone to all types of flooding, are explored to determine the extent to which human activities impact on the magnitude of flooding and flood damage. Human activities such as land degradation, deforestation of catchment areas, increased population density along the Navua riverbanks inadequate land use planning, zoning, and control of flood plain development; and inadequate drainage, and management of discharges are examined when determining the factors that have contributed to the increased incidence of flooding of the past 100 years until 2004. The evolution of different governmental approaches to hazard and risk management in Fiji is also explored. It is observed that while considerable progress has been made to address the factors causing high risk, there is still an emphasis on hazard mitigation rather than risk reduction. A model framework for flood risk management is referred to, where the elements at risk are the land-use characteristics of the Navua Catchment. As such, part of the treatment of risks is seen as requiring adequate risk management standards that fit into the broader 'all-hazards management' approach adopted by the Pacific Island Nations including Fiji