Over 100 residents from the village of Navunikabi in the Wainikoroiluva district of Namosi have come together to sign a petition against the development of a new hydroelectric dam proposed just one kilometer from their community. On Tuesday, villagers of all ages gathered along the riverbanks, wielding protest banners to express their strong dissent against ongoing feasibility studies and the introduction of hydro dams in the Namosi region.

The protest was led by the landowners committee known as Lomani Au Maroroi Au (LAMA), which has urged both the government and the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) to heed their wishes and halt all associated activities. LAMA chairman Sipiriano Nariva voiced significant concerns regarding the environmental and cultural threats the proposed project could inflict. He criticized the consultation process employed by developers, stressing that it did not align with the landowners’ expectations.

Mr. Nariva remarked, “We do not want hydro; we do not want the feasibility studies; we want to be left alone. We wish to preserve our environment and our heritage sites.” He also highlighted previous flooding incidents that occurred after heavy rains, warning that construction of the dam could jeopardize ancestral grave sites and make the community more susceptible to such environmental changes.

Despite ongoing protests from six other villages in the district, Mr. Nariva pointed out that feasibility studies have supposedly persisted in various sections of Namosi, further fueling local frustrations. He added, “Namosi already has electricity; we already have enough hydro dams in Fiji. The people do not want feasibility studies to be conducted, and the government is fully aware of this as well.”

This strong community response underlines the importance of obtaining genuine consent and respecting local opinions in development projects, especially regarding environmental preservation and cultural heritage. While the tensions over the proposed hydro dam highlight the complexities of modern infrastructure development, they also exemplify community resilience and the collective desire to protect one’s heritage. It is imperative that future discussions prioritize the voices of residents like those in Navunikabi to find sustainable solutions that respect both the environment and the community’s wishes.