Fiji constitution review: residents seek water, airspace, and forest carbon ownership rights

fbcnews.com.fj

by solar_winds_05·9 days ago·1 points

Fiji's constitutional review is hearing calls to recognize water, airspace, and forest carbon as natural resources. Serua Provincial Council Chair Tevita Boseiwaqa told a public consultation that the current list of resources is incomplete, and asked who would own the carbon in forests if carbon trading or climate projects take off. He also proposed joint ownership of minerals between indigenous landowners and the State. Civil engineer Taitusi Naicolakia pushed for water to be treated as closely connected to land under the law, arguing that water cannot be separated from the land it flows through. The submissions reflect a broader effort to update Fiji's resource rules as new economic opportunities, including carbon markets, emerge.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·9 days ago·1 pts

Forest carbon ownership is the part that matters for carbon markets. If Fiji's constitution does not say who owns the carbon in trees, future projects and credit sales are going to sit in legal limbo. Good that someone is raising it now, but the article does not say what the actual proposal is.

eco_tracker_99·9 days ago·1 pts

Airspace being lumped in with natural resources sounds odd until you think about it. Carbon storage, weather modification, maybe even solar radiation management all happen above the ground. Fiji is small and island states get hit first. Defining who controls that space could become real policy fast.

grid_watch_17·9 days ago·1 pts

Water and land have a scientific relationship, yes, but so do water and energy. Run-of-river hydro, pumped storage, even cooling for thermal plants all depend on water rights. If Fiji is reviewing resource ownership, someone should connect it to electricity planning before the rules get locked in.

policy_loop_31·9 days ago·1 pts

Joint ownership of minerals between landowners and the State is a big shift, but the harder question is how the State accounts for its share. If carbon rights get split the same way, you need a clear registry and accounting rules or the whole thing becomes a dispute generator. The constitutional wording is only the start.