United by Water
How the People of Vanua Levu Are Overcoming Water Scarcity Together
Sesarina Vagaveli still remembers the days when water was so scarce that her clinic in Kubulau struggled to care for patients.
“We share our water source with the neighbouring village,” she explains. “There were times when we didn’t have enough for our patients or even for ourselves. It was one of our biggest struggles.”
As a district nurse practitioner at the Kubulau Nursing Station on Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu, Sesarina has witnessed firsthand how the changing climate is reshaping daily life. Droughts have become more frequent and intense, driven by climate change and the El Niño phenomenon. For communities like hers, the dry seasons are no longer predictable: They are longer, hotter, and more dangerous.
Across the island, the story is the same.
In Natua Village, Karolina Senibuli, a community health worker at Nakorovatu Health Center, faced similar challenges. “Water was limited, and it was hard to provide care,” Karolina says. “We had to ration water for drinking, washing, and hygiene. It felt like we were fighting an uphill battle every year.”
But the people of Vanua Levu refused to give in.
When the crisis became too much for the villages to manage alone, they turned to each other, and to partners like UNICEF for support. Through UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Health Facilities initiative, both Kubulau and Natua received new rainwater harvesting systems and water storage tanks.
The impact was immediate.
“When we received the 3,000-liter tank, it made all the difference,” says Sesarina. “The additional storage capacity allowed us to keep the clinic running during the worst of the drought. Now, we can maintain sanitation, provide basic health services, and protect our patients from infections.”
In Natua, Karolina led the charge for a lasting solution.
“We all worked together as a community to make this happen,” she reflects. “The new water tanks have transformed our health centre. Not only are we able to provide care safely, but we can also ensure that hygiene standards are met.”
The journey hasn’t been easy, but it has been transformative.
With additional 3,000-litre tanks now installed beside the existing 10,000-litre tank at Nakorovatu Health Centre, the community is better prepared for the dry seasons ahead. The tanks are even safely strapped and anchored to withstand cyclones.
Sesarina smiles as she reflects on how far they’ve come.
“The water tanks have made it possible for us to keep the clinic open and maintain our health services,” she says. “We no longer fear the droughts. We know that with unity and the support of UNICEF, we can overcome anything.”
For the people of Vanua Levu, water is no longer just a commodity, it is a symbol of resilience and unity. In the face of climate challenges, they have come together to protect their health, their communities, and their future.
