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Although the atoll was discovered in 1796 and claimed by the United States in 1858, it was uninhabited except for brief visits by guano miners, adventurers, government scientists and military personnel until 1936, when the U.S. Navy began developing first a seaplane base and later an airstrip and refueling facilities which served as an important link from the Hawaiian Islands to the western Pacific during World War II.

The Upper Navua River cuts a narrow gorge through the province of Serua in the central highlands of Viti Levu. The Navua River represents Fiji's third largest freshwater drainage. The gorge is approximately 75 meters deep and varies in width from 5 to 25 meters. The Upper Navua Conservation Area (UNCA) encompasses tins never gorge and approximately 58% of die entire catchment area. Lush highland rainforest surrounds the entire drainage and provides a host of botanical cures diat are utilized by die indigenous peoples of the area. The forest, over and associated biodiversity provide die necessary supplies and food required for daily living and a wide range of ecosystem services to the entire catchment area including flood control for lower areas.

Internationally, the average budgets for protected areas in developing countries is estimated to be around 30 percent of what is considered to be the minimum amount required for conserving those areas. Internationally, donor assistance for biodiversity conservation has also declined, and many officially recognized parks are only paper parks , lacking sufficient funds to pay for staff salaries, fuel costs, surveys etc;

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) joined forces to organize a high-level regional consultation for the Pacific water sector in preparation for the 3rd World Water Forum that will take place from 16 to 23 March 2003 in Kyoto, Japan.