Restoring Mangaia’s magnificence

Scientists arrive to advise the best way forward for Mangaia’s agriculture

Volunteer Dr Yasu Kawabe, a soil, plant and livestock specialist of over 40 years experience has just arrived on Rarotonga, bound for the island of Mangaia to provide his support to the people of Mangaia, who have had to live with the negative impacts of the New Zealand Overseas Development Agency (NZODA) funded Land Management Project (Forestry) in Mangaia, which operated from 1984 until the mid 1990’s.
Dr Yasu Kawabe has worked in Paraguay, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America and various other countries in the world, to guide and encourage communities to understand soil ecosystems, relationships between soil-plants-animal. Through field and action orientated approaches to learning, Dr Yasu Kawabe brings in-depth understanding to Agricultural Science, which from his experience is best taught in the actual field with those genuinely serious in agriculture. Dr Kawabe strongly believes that the ‘hands on’ approach ensures that sustainable economic development is strategically positioned within the capacity and capability of the communities that he works with and for. To not do so is to set the people or communities up to fail.
Dr Yasu Kawabe has never visited Mangaia, but he is looking forward to discovering with the people of Mangaia through soil analysis and vegetation observations what impacts are occurring. The findings and recommendations, on how to deal with the Pine Trees through accurate soil testing, will be presented to Nooroa Numangatini, Queen of Mangaia (who is presently in New Zealand) and her Kavana, Ui Rangatira who are envisaged to relay the results to the wider community of Mangaia.
The severe erosion problem caused by the abandoned pineapple plantations of the 1970’s and early 1980’s was perceived at the time, as a problem that could be addressed by the planting of almost 350 hectares of various types of Pine Trees. Although future milling potentials were considered by the local government representative at that time, NZODA representatives deemed the forestry scale planned for Mangaia as being commercially unviable.
Within the various reports written by Chief Forestry Officer at the time, Othaniel Tangianau and NZODA representatives from the period 1989 to 1992 the forestry project provided employment for 20 people in Mangaia. It also established a nursery which produced and housed 200,000 healthy seedlings of various types of Pine Trees and other types of trees to cover 350 hectares of fernland. Other resources were also provided which included a number of forestry vehicles, forestry equipment and two fully equipped depots. 25 years later, the trees have matured, no one is employed in forestry and environmental impacts of a negative nature have occurred.
Dr Ngamau Wichman-Tou who is liaising with Dr Kawabe, tells the Herald that they are mindful that the people and environment of Mangaia have been the recipients of numerous amounts of ‘failed projects’. Therefore, those interested in partaking in the soil testing stage will be welcomed as a ‘hands on approach’ will be utilized and knowledge will be directly imparted to the local community.
Dr Tou says, that the timeliness of Dr Kawabe’s availability to visit this week, has also brought about the opportunity for his daughter Ottilie Upshall who is an environmental scientist to be part of our visiting team. Ottilie Upshall’s task will be to assess the status of the impact the Pine Trees have on the coral reef, as acid holes have now become visible. Together Dr Yasu Kawabe and his daughter Ottilie Upshall have not only volunteered their time but they have also waived their normal consultancy fee of $10,000NZD for a weeks worth of work.
When asked by the Herald if government were contributing towards the visit to Mangaia given that they implemented the project in Mangaia, Dr Tou responded to the Herald by saying that at this stage the involvement of Government is one where various government officials like the Minister of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture and the Prime Minister, (as courtesy) have been informed about the visit to Mangaia.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
- World famous activist assisting residents
- Budget will decide if residents prosecute Government over landfill
- Forestry project sucking Mangaia dry
- Budget 2010 – fiasco or disaster?