Fiji

Litia's environmental journey started at a very young age. Growing up she had always been cautious of how rubbish was disposed and disliked littering. 

Going through school and then in to higher education Litia studied Marine Science, having the goal, like many of us, of becoming a Marine Biologist. Again, like many of us that didn’t quite work out so Litia ventured into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) & Remote Sensing after graduating

Remote sensing is the process of collecting data about the Earth from a distance, typically using satellites or aircraft to take pictures and measure surface features. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are computer-based tools that map, analyse, and manage this data, turning raw imagery into actionable insights for decision-making

Litia's current title is Geospatial Technical Officer, and she has worked on several thematic areas

Litia worked on a project called "Adaptation to climate change through food security measures "– In this, she mapped out natural food sources such as Breadfruit and Pandanus for low lying islands and was piloted in Tarawa, Kiribati. This was mapped together with the Agriculture and Environment department in case supply of introduced food staples such as rice were interrupted due to extreme events that block out access to remote atolls in Kiribati. This would mean that the nation would rely on what is locally available but not managed and not fully utilized. 

Amongst all these and many other projects, one in particular goes closest to Litia's heart. This was establishing the Pacific Geospatial Women Network (PGWN) and its aim is to nurture women to establish their career in this field. Together the network provides training to community-based women groups.