Jope Davetanivalu is originally from the Fiji Island and has worked and served in the Fiji Government for 27 years. He worked in the Central Board of Health under the Ministry of Health, served as a lecturer on Public Health at the Fiji School of Medicine and as the Director of Environment under the Ministry of Local Government and Environment for Fiji. He is currently employed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as the Environment Planning Advisor for its member countries.