The Sigatoka River Valley has many different reasons to why it is important geologically such as the soil content which is full of nutrients and is used for growing crops. The Sigatoka River Valley is referred to the ‘salad bowl’ because a significant amount of Fiji’s vegetables and fruits are grown there. Unfortunately this might not last for much longer.

Another importance of the Sigatoka River Valley is the location of the mouth of the river which is occupied by sand dunes. These dunes were created by fluvial erosion in the coastal hinterland which is when the water is flowing towards the coast due to gravity[1]. These dunes also “possess prehistoric evidence of mankind with pottery scatters, stone tools, human remains and other archaeological objects discovered by natural processes.”(World Heritage Center) These dunes are around 650 hectares[2], and are globally studied because of the constant erosion of the land which is moving inland and is believed to affect the ‘salad bowl’ portion (the cropland) of the Sigatoka River Valley sometime in the near future.

The most important geological significance of the Sigatoka River Valley is actually because of its rift valley that is now being spread apart and causing increased farmland. Due to the erosion of land on the coastal area of the river valley, farmland will only make the land even barer and with constant erosion and global warming, the erosion could move inland, disrupting one of Fiji’s largest crop lands. Also because of this rift valley, copper, zinc, gold, and iron are now being commonly found in the area which is leading to the mining industry being developed in the area as well now. This is all because of this hot spring rift valley releasing metals millions of years ago and with Fiji being an impoverished nation; it is only being discovered now.