A/HRC/43/53/Add.1 be limited. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services recently noted that monitoring environmental air quality was limited by the lack of equipment and trained personnel. 60. During his visit to the village of Vunidogoloa, the Special Rapporteur was treated to a delicious traditional Fijian meal, but he was concerned by the fact that it was cooked over an open fire. The woman who had prepared the meal told him that she cooked over an open fire three times daily. This puts her health, and her children’s health, at risk and inadvertently contributes to climate change through black carbon emissions. A made-in-Fiji solution being delivered by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation is called the Fijian rocket stove. It is a low-cost stove that reduces household air pollution by burning wood much more efficiently, also taking pressure off forests and the people who gather firewood for cooking (again primarily women). 61. Although the use of solid fuels in household cooking declined from 55 per cent in 1990 to 37 per cent in 2010, it remains a serious health threat to many Fijians, especially in rural areas. This practice is particularly problematic for women, who do the vast majority of cooking, and young children, who spend much of their time with their mothers. The use of kerosene for cooking and lighting, again more common in rural areas, is also a significant source of exposure to air pollutants. The draft national energy policy identifies the goals of providing universal access to electricity and zero per cent of Fijians cooking with solid fuels by 2030. 62. There has been a surge in peer-reviewed scientific articles about air pollution in Fiji, focused on Suva, Lautoka and Vatukoula. A recent study showed that levels of fine particulate matter in the city of Lautoka, largely from vehicle emissions, cause an increased risk of hospitalization for heart disease. The biggest health risk relating to air pollution in Suva is from “fossil fuel smoke” that is produced by industry and vehicle emissions. Black carbon (from diesel vehicles, fossil fuel burning power plants and open burning) is not only a harmful air pollutant but also a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. As such, its reduction should be a priority for Fiji. 63. Not all populations are equally exposed to air pollution. Populations living in close proximity to polluting industrial facilities, such as cement factories and fossil-fuel power plants, face elevated risks from poor air quality. Communities located close to busy roads are disproportionately exposed to vehicle emissions. In both of these cases, the people suffering adverse impacts on their health and human rights are likely to be living in poverty. 64. The Land Transport Authority is implementing several actions to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, including public education about air pollution from vehicles, increased inspections, data collection and emissions testing, and fines for violations of emissions standards. Fiji recently strengthened fuel standards for diesel and gasoline, dramatically reducing the sulphur content of these fuels. Taxes on diesel fuel are lower than on petrol/gasoline, which the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has concluded is poor public policy given that diesel causes higher levels of air pollution. F. Access to clean water and adequate sanitation 65. The rights to water and sanitation are integral components of the right to a clean and healthy environment. In fact, the Constitution of Fiji specifically includes the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities and the right to sanitation. In addition, the constitutional provision on the rights of children specifically mentions the right to sanitation (art. 41). 66. The latest data available indicate that 94 per cent of people in Fiji have access to improved drinking water sources, while 95 per cent enjoy access to at least basic sanitation facilities, up from 57 per cent in 1990. The Water Authority of Fiji is extending piped service to a growing number of households. The problematic practice of open defecation has been eliminated, which is a significant step forward. Improved sanitation is contributing to improved water quality in some areas. For example, levels of faecal coliform bacteria in the Rewa River have dropped, reducing the health risks to persons who use the river for water supply, fishing and recreation. 67. However, these positive developments are accompanied by several ongoing challenges. According to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, water and sanitation 12