BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
FORMER intern at the Solomon Breweries Limited, Franklin Fiuta has previously left his job after being temporarily laid off during the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Franklin is a qualified mechanical engineer, who had previously undertaken postgraduate studies in Aerospace & Aeronautics Engineering at Fiji National University in Fiji.
This year, Franklin, the Project Coordinator of the Foirobo Biodiversity Conservation Association (FTBCA) launched a major milestone small grant conservation project aimed to protect the forest of his tribal community in Ata’a in North East Malaita. He says the project is an initiative to provide a solution to the effects of Climate Change faced by the Foirobo tribe and other sub-tribes in the North East region of Malaita province.
The milestone small grant project was funded under the partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility Programme (GEF).
Over the years, Franklin has become aware of the dangers of climate change, and more and more aware of the incredible threat caused by forest logging activities to the natural environment in the Solomon Islands.
After years of research and planning, he managed to pioneer his conservation idea into reality with the registration of the Foirobo Tribal Biodiversity Conservation Association in 2001.
“Since the establishment of Foirobo Tribal Biodiversity Conservation Association, we continue to strive to meet its vision which is creating change for a better tomorrow.
“Our environment – the land, the air, the rivers, and the sea gives us the source for our sustenance.
“Thus, it is our responsibility to take good care of it and preserve it for now and the future generation. Climate change is affecting our islands and our weather patterns, it is our responsibility to mitigate its effect. Enough of logging, it is time to preserve our forest,’’ the Project Coordinator of the Foirobo Biodiversity Conservation Association told Environment Media.
Foirobo Tribe Biodiversity Conservation Association is a bonafide Biodiversity Conservation Group located in Ata’a, North/East Malaita that is managed and operated by Foirobo Tribe People to preserve its natural resources and to maintain hygiene and eco-friendly Foirobo land environment.
The Association’s objectives are to protect the resources and well-being of the resource owners of Foirobo Tribe and working together as a tribe regardless of age, agility, gender, belief, or political affiliation recognizing the value of many differences