The Steering Committee of the Higher Ground Initiative (HGI) invited other Heads of Departments and Chairs of SOEs to the draft land use plan for Topside.
It was the first time that the HGI Select Committee invited other HoD’s and Chairs of SOEs to an HGI meeting.
HGI was launched in 2019 to accelerate the rehabilitation of mined out land in preparation for habitation. HGI takes on greater urgency due to the impacts of climate change, most notably sea level rise, which could threaten many low-lying coastal areas of the island over the next several decades.
The HGI Steering Committee has engaged the American urban planning firm Metrocology, which is known for its holistic approach to designing thriving communities, to develop the new land use plan,
The new draft plan is primarily focused on Land Portion #230 Meneñ, which is approximately 10 hectares and will be the site of Nauru's first "smart village," integrating innovative housing units with water harvesting strategies and local food production.
The early designs also leave space for community centers, parks, and commercial space. A series of design workshops will take place over the next two months to refine the plans, so that they meet the needs of Nauru.
The HGI Steering Committee will also soon announce a plan for public consultations, once the plans from the design workshops are ready - by June. This will allow every Nauruan to have an opportunity to provide input into the plans.
The next meeting comprising all HoD’s’ and SOEs will be the design workshops tentatively scheduled for the first week of April.
Photo Nauru Media News- NTV