Kabara (pronounced ) is an island of
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
, a member of the
Lau archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
. With a land area of ,
its population of around 660 live in four villages.
The islanders are noted for their craftsmanship in the area of wood carving. Vesi wood (
Intsia bijuga
''Intsia bijuga'', commonly known as Borneo teak, ipil, merbau, Johnstone River teak, and kwila, amongst many other names, is a species of tree in the flowering plant family Fabaceae, native to coastal areas from east Africa, through India and ...
), which grows natively on Kabara, is the traditional material, but
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
has stripped the island,
leaving only 8% of the island covered with Vesi trees .
A program of
reforestation
Reforestation is the practice of restoring previously existing forests and woodlands that have been destroyed or damaged. The prior forest destruction might have happened through deforestation, clearcutting or wildfires. Three important purpose ...
has been started,
but as Vesi trees take 70–80 years to mature, carvers are being encouraged to use as little Vesi wood as possible.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...
, known locally as ''yasi'' is being promoted as an alternative. Unlike Vesi, sandalwood takes only 30–40 years to mature.
The
Fiji Village
''Fiji Village'' (stylised ''Fijivillage'') is an online news website in Fiji which is fully owned and operated by Communications Fiji Limited. It covers local, political, business, sporting, cultural, and other news items.
''Fiji Village'' is ...
news service reported on 28 March 2006 that the
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named th ...
had donated thirteen 5000-
gallon
The gallon is a unit of volume in British imperial units and United States customary units.
The imperial gallon (imp gal) is defined as , and is or was used in the United Kingdom and its former colonies, including Ireland, Canada, Australia ...
water tanks to Kabara, which would likely eliminate water shortages on the island.
Kabara was the first site promoted under the Climate Witness Programme in the Pacific.
A notable native from Kabara was the late wood carver
Jone Lupe, whose family have been engaged in the craft for generations.
References
Islands of Fiji
Lau Islands
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