Squattering All Over Fiji

Squatter settlements are quickly redrawing Fiji's physical landscape and there is no sign of it stopping any time in the future. Fiji's Social Welfare Minister estimates that close to 15% of the population live in around 200 squatter settlements around the country. The greater Suva area has the largest number of squatters and it is estimated that by 2010, the Suva/Nausori corridor will have 15,000 squatter households with 100,000 people. With the rise of these informal settlements, one has to ask a few necessary questions, namely, What is governments policy on housing? Is is effective? What can be done to cater for the growing population of urban dwellers who live on these informal settlements? These are general questions, I suppose, but none the less they provide a starting point in the quest of looking into this problem. Some commentators, of which I would not like to name, have supposedly accepted this phenomenon as a part of urbanization and modernization. Ironically this statement was made during one of the government sponsored conference on squatter settlements. I feel most of us seem to accept this as a fact but I wish to argue otherwise. Squatter settlements arise because of two distinct issues namely, the availability of land and the issue of land ownership. The former has been a major concern to city planners and human rights activists while the latter has been a constant head ache to previous governments in Fiji. And, unless we are able to solve these two issues, the problem of informal settlements will persevere. Fiji's land policy is not unique as others would like to think. Most third world countries and most developed countries share the same dillema. It is just the question of finding an appropriate point where land owners and those who propose to use the land can come to an agreement. The role of government can be crucial in this. But most importantly people should be educated as to the nature of Fiji's land policy and often misconceptions have caused more problems than actual squatter settlements. We should understand that we are dealing with peoples lives here, their sense of home is in question and in moments of desperation people often take terrible measures to ensure survival. To the squatter dwellers, it is a matter of survival and less a matter of integraty. Understanding their dillema and where they are coming from is always wise before any policy change or program is instigated concerning this issue.