Congratulations Nunia Thomas-Moko

The winners of the 2nd Pacific Island Environment Leadership Awards were announced virtually as part of the recent High-level session at the 30th SPREP Meeting. PAC would like to acknowledge the achievement of Nunia Thomas-Moko, who was awarded one of the national leadership in environmental sustainability and conservation awards.

Nunia is a former member of PAC’s Steering Group, contributing to PAC’s early development and the longterm direction of the collaboration. Nunia is the Director of NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, a continuing partner of PAC.

PIELAs were given for outstanding achievement in the following thematic areas related to environmental sustainability in SPREP’s 21 Pacific island member countries:

  • Biodiversity and Ecosystem protection - achievements in national levels protecting terrestrial and marine species and ecosystems, establishing and managing protected areas, linkages to sustainable livelihoods

  • Environmental governance - achievements relating to the establishment and implementation of national laws and policies, regional frameworks, and community-based management initiatives for all environmental issues

  • Climate change adaptation and resilience - innovative solutions for ecosystem-based adaptation at community, sub-national and national levels

  • Waste management and pollution control - innovative solutions and initiatives to reduce and/or improve waste management and pollution control at the sub-national and national levels

Some of the details of Nunia’s achievements from the PIELA award listing:

“[Nunia] graduated with a BSc in Environmental Science at the University of the South Pacific, Suva (USP). At the same time, she developed a deep religious conviction and commitment to family and community which have become a hallmark of her character and world view. For five years after graduating, Nunia worked as a graduate assistant at USP’s Institute of Applied Science where she gained experience in a wide variety of ecological research and survey work, and progressed an emerging interest in Fijian herpetology to enable her to successfully complete a herpetological study for a Masters in Biology at USP, and establish herself as Fiji’s leading herpetological scientist. In 2007, Nunia joined the newly formed NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, Fiji’s first and only local conservation NGO. She was instrumental in its early years of establishment and in 2013 was appointed Director, a position she currently holds.

Nunia is well known as an articulate and passionate advocate for the conservation of Fiji’s natural heritage, and environmental sustainability. Nunia has conducted over 40 assessments of Fijian herpetofauna diversity, habitats and threats to their populations for conservation purposes and environment impact assessments. During this period, she also worked with nearly all of the important terrestrial biodiversity scientists researching in Fiji which has provided her with a wide appreciation of Fiji’s biodiversity conservation needs, local capacity and a network of international specialists. These credentials are augmented by authorship of 13 papers in refereed scientific journals. Nunia has been a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Steering Committee since 2013 and is Regional Vice Chair for Oceania.”