Fiji: youth engagement at the heart of the Kiwa Coastal Resilience / Dune Ecosystem project

From 16 to 18 December 2025, rangers and community educators met in Suva for a three-day workshop under the Kiwa Coastal Resilience / Dune Ecosystem project, and hosted by the National Trust of Fiji. Focused on the theme “Roots and Resilience – Shaping HiYH Together”, the workshop reviewed 2025 activities of the Heritage in Young Hands (HiYH) programme and strengthened a place-based, student-centred approach linking cultural heritage, education and coastal resilience.

Key outcomes include a draft Junior Ranger Level programme ready to be piloted in Sigatoka in 2026, clear plans to expand activities to Yadua Island and Ovalau, a validated 2026 activity calendar with monitoring milestones, and the creation of a task team dedicated to long-term sustainability and partnerships. The workshop confirmed the role of youth education and community collaboration as essential levers for protecting Fiji’s coastal and dune ecosystems.