Mainstreaming Development Policies for Climate Change in Fiji: A Policy Gap Analysis and the Role of ICTs

Abstract

Fiji is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and to the Kyoto Protocol. This chapter examines the development policies implemented since ratifying these agreements to mitigate greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. This includes an analysis of Fiji's effort in mitigating climate change issues by “mainstreaming” - an operational approach for making development more sustainable. A country's use of renewable energy sources is a good indicator of its efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. Fiji's renewable energy projects and agricultural sector are examined. Identification is made of the gaps in development policies that take control of climate change issues with the process of mainstreaming. Suggestions are provided to close the gaps. ICT (information communications technology) has a critical role to mitigate the impacts of climate change by advancing renewable energy efforts and reducing emissions. Social media is now widely used to inform and educate about sustainable development efforts and to address broader development challenges.