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| | Diet -- Environmental aspects -- Fiji -- Suva |
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| | Comparison of consumption patterns and environmental awareness in formal and informal communities in Suva, Fiji Islands Author: Devi, Poonam Pritika Institution: University of the South Pacific. Award: M.A. Subject: Food consumption -- Environmental aspects -- Fiji -- Suva, Diet -- Environmental aspects -- Fiji -- Suva, Food supply -- Environmental aspects -- Fiji -- Suva Date: 2015 Call No.: Pac HD 9000 .9 .F5 D48 2015 BRN: 1207938 Copyright:40-60% of this thesis may be copied without the authors written permission Abstract: Urbanization is observed in Fiji in many aspects. A paramount significance of it is depicted in the growth of informal settlements particularly in the Capital City, Suva. Increase in demand for housing in urban areas has led to increase in housing cost and land prices; especially where close to 90 percent of the land is under native Fijians and not available to the land market. This leaves low income earning migrants with no other choice than to move to informal settlements. It is observed that households who are poor in one measure tend to be poor in others as well. This study was carried out to measure consumption patterns and the degree of environmental awareness on communities located on or near fragile environments. Two informal settlements and a formal neighborhood were selected for the study. The three communities (Veidogo and Wailea informal settlements and Vatuwaqa formal neighborhood) are all located in Vatuwaqa, a densely populated urban neighborhood of Suva, enclosed by mangrove swamps in the vicinity. The study includes an ecological footprint survey through which data on consumption patterns of the three communities in the study area was collected. The data collection included both qualitative and quantitative approaches and was done using a structured and a semi-structured questionnaire survey with households in the study area. The study revealed that consumption patterns significantly differ between the three communities. In particular the two informal settlements showed contradictory results; one settlement has results that are more similar to the formal neighborhood. On one hand, residents of the formal neighborhood appear to be more considerate about their physical environment; however, their higher consumption explains that their actions are degrading the environment in the long term. On the other, residents of informal settlements are least concerned of the environment and more apprehensive to survive in a degrading environment. They have lower consumption than the formal neighborhood. A bigger ecological footprint is correlated to a bigger impact on the environment, which is apparent by the consumption pattern of the Vatuwaqa formal neighborhood and Wailea informal settlement.
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