Conservation International Fiji


Conservation International Fiji is the Fiji country programme of Conservation International. Conservation International began working in Fiji in 2003 and is based in Suva. 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.
In Fiji, Conservation International supported work that contributed to the establishment of the Sovi Basin Conservation Area 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. 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". CI Fiji has worked on blue carbon initiatives focused on mangrove ecosystems, and on conservation and livelihoods work in the Lau Islands.

History

Conservation International began working in Fiji in 2003.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Activities by location

Viti Levu

Sovi Basin Conservation Area

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. Fiji's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan described the Sovi Basin as a protected area in Namosi Province covering 16,344 ha and linked its establishment to a conservation agreement facilitated by Conservation International, including a long-term conservation lease and management funding.
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. Plot-based vegetation surveys in the basin recorded high tree-species diversity and endemism.
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.

Navitilevu Bay (blue carbon and mangroves)

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.

Ra Province (forest restoration and carbon projects)

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. The Nakauvadra Forest Carbon Project was developed by Conservation International and funded by the Fiji Water Foundation.

Kadavu

Feasibility work linked to integrated coastal management in Fiji has included analysis of financial and economic mechanisms intended to support ICM in Kadavu.

Lau Islands

In 2025, CI provided support for agricultural recovery and food security in the Lau Islands following Cyclone Rae.
In June 2022, seagrass research and conservation efforts continued in the Lau Group in connection with Conservation International's work.
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. A cave on Vanua Balavu has been described as having thousands of Pacific sheath-tailed bats.