Conservation International Fiji

Conservation International Fiji

Abbreviation	CI Fiji
Formation	2003
Type	Country programme
Headquarters	Suva, Fiji
Region served	Fiji
Fields	Biodiversity conservation; protected areas; conservation finance
Parent organization	Conservation International
Website	www.conservation.org/places/fiji

Conservation International Fiji (CI Fiji) is the Fiji country programme of Conservation International. Conservation International began working in Fiji in 2003 and is based in Suva.^[1] Its work in Fiji has included biodiversity conservation and protected-area initiatives, including a ridge-to-reef approach linking terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems with coastal and marine environments.^[1]

In Fiji, Conservation International supported work that contributed to the establishment of the Sovi Basin Conservation Area (SBCA) on Viti Levu, including creation of a multi-stakeholder steering committee, development of a management plan and conservation-lease arrangements with landowners and partner institutions.^[2] Scientific fieldwork in the Sovi Basin described it as lowland tropical rainforest and noted that it "has been protected in a partnership between local landowners, Conservation International and Fiji Water".^[3] CI Fiji has worked on blue carbon initiatives focused on mangrove ecosystems, and on conservation and livelihoods work in the Lau Islands.^[4][5][6]

Conservation International began working in Fiji in 2003.^[1]

Work around the Sovi Basin contributed to the development of conservation-lease and management arrangements intended to support long-term protection and provide alternative income for landowners.^[2][7] Fiji's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan described the Sovi Basin as a protected area in Namosi Province established through a conservation agreement facilitated by Conservation International, including a long-term conservation lease and funding for management.^[8]

In 2005, landowners agreed to cancel a proposed logging concession in the Sovi Basin. A conservation trust fund was developed to support long-term management and provide alternative income for landowners, and Conservation International secured a donation from Fiji Water in 2007 as part of trust-fund financing.^[9]

In 2011, a class-action lawsuit challenged Fiji Water's "carbon negative" marketing claims; in describing its climate strategy, the company referenced forest restoration and offsets in Fiji, including work described as a partnership with local landowners and Conservation International.^[10]

In 2022, CI Fiji worked on protecting and restoring mangroves through the Blue Carbon Fiji Project, including work in priority sites such as Navitilevu Bay in Ra Province.^[4]

In 2025, CI provided FJ$80,000 in support to help rebuild sustainable food sources in the Lau Islands following Cyclone Rae, including distribution of planting materials beginning on Lakeba and extending to other districts.^[6]

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Selected activity locations in Fiji (1 Suva; 2 Sovi Basin Conservation Area; 3 Navitilevu Bay; 4 Nakauvadra Range (Ra Province); 5 Kadavu; 6 Lakeba; 7 Vanua Balavu)

Conservation International facilitated a process involving stakeholders that included Fiji's forestry authorities, the University of the South Pacific, the iTaukei Land Trust Board and landowner representatives to develop a management plan for the Sovi Basin and establish long-term conservation-lease arrangements.^[2] Fiji's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan described the Sovi Basin as a protected area in Namosi Province covering 16,344 ha (163.44 km²) and linked its establishment to a conservation agreement facilitated by Conservation International, including a long-term conservation lease and management funding.^[8]

The Sovi Basin has been described in scientific fieldwork as a lowland rainforest basin drained by the Wainavobo and Wainivalu rivers, which join and exit as the Sovi River through a gorge to the east of the basin.^[3] Plot-based vegetation surveys in the basin recorded high tree-species diversity and endemism (112 species with dbh >= 10 cm in 1.08 ha, with about 60% endemic).^[3]

A trust fund was established to generate revenue for landowners and support long-term management, including payments linked to lease arrangements, compensation for foregone timber royalties, and community development opportunities; reporting on the SBCA described a scholarship programme for landowning communities that had supported more than 150 students as of 2012.^[2][9][7]

Through the Blue Carbon Fiji Project, CI Fiji conducted baseline studies and surveys in project sites including Navitilevu Bay in Ra and developed restoration plans for priority mangrove sites.^[4]

Forest restoration initiatives in Ra Province have included the Nakauvadra Forest Carbon Project, a community reforestation effort with goals including climate-change mitigation through carbon sequestration, socioeconomic benefits for local communities, and habitat restoration and buffering in the Nakauvadra area.^[11] The Nakauvadra Forest Carbon Project was developed by Conservation International and funded by the Fiji Water Foundation.^[12]

Feasibility work linked to integrated coastal management (ICM) in Fiji has included analysis of financial and economic mechanisms intended to support ICM in Kadavu.^[7]

In 2025, CI provided support for agricultural recovery and food security in the Lau Islands following Cyclone Rae.^[6]

In June 2022, seagrass research and conservation efforts continued in the Lau Group in connection with Conservation International's work.^[5]

In 2023, Conservation International announced the discovery of a large colony of an endangered bat species in Fiji during a survey on the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau archipelago, describing the finding as significant for understanding species distribution and informing conservation actions.^[13] A cave on Vanua Balavu has been described as having thousands of Pacific sheath-tailed bats.^[14]