Dredging only a short term solution for flooding in Fiji

08 April 2010 - PACNEWS

Dredging in river deltas in Fiji is not a sustainable long term solution to problem of flooding.

That’s the view of Professor Patrick Nunn from the University of New England in Armidale.

“We dredge at a very slow rate in Fiji so the amount of the things we take out of the river channel is very small. We need to be taking out a lot more to really have an impact.

“ My argument is that we can spend three years taking sand and gravel out of the bottom of the river channel and if there is a flood in three hours that hole is going to be filled up again but people in Fiji they believe in dredging as a solution.

“Everyone thinks if you dredge the river channel, you make it deeper and help prevent flooding. The problem is not the river channel it’s the sea level,” Professor Nunn told PACNEWS

Professor Nunn said increase in sea level will continue to be a problem no matter what plans authorities put in place to avoid flooding in river deltas. 

 

PACNEWS coverage of the Science of Climate Change, GreenHouse 2011 conference in Cairns, Australia is made possible with funding assistance from the Australian Government, under the Pacific Climate Change Programme.