Through systems health and Nature-based Solutions approaches, the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health Plus (WISH+) project, funded under the Kiwa Initiative, will deliver co-benefits for climate resilience, biodiversity and human health and well-being.
More than 3,000 Fijians will benefit from improved watershed management under the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health Plus (WISH+) project, which was launched today at the Holiday Inn in Suva.
Dr. Stacy Jupiter, Regional Director with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), said that WISH+, as part of the Kiwa Initiative, will focus on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to improve resilience to climate sensitive diseases and protect biodiversity in upstream watersheds and downstream coral reefs in the Vatu-i-Ra seascape.
“Through WISH+, WCS and our partners from the University of Sydney and University of Queensland will work with government and communities to reduce the incidence of water-related diseases in high risk watersheds. Management actions will also improve access to clean water, support biodiversity conservation, and strengthen climate resilience and livelihoods in coastal communities,” she said.
The Kiwa WISH+ regional project will be implemented at key sites in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and will run through June 2026.
In Fiji, project sites will be in watersheds on the islands of Vanua Levu and Ovalau. The project team will also design tools to help design and finance portfolios of watershed interventions to optimise co-benefits for biodiversity, climate and human well-being.
About the Kiwa Initiative - The Kiwa Initiative - Nature-based Solutions (NBS) for Climate Resilience aims to build the resilience of Pacific Island ecosystems, communities and economies to climate change through NBS by protecting, sustainably managing and restoring biodiversity. It is based on simplified access to funding for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation actions for local and national governments, civil society and regional organisations in Pacific Island States and Territories. The Initiative is funded by the European Union, Agence française de développement (AFD), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). It has established partnerships with the Pacific Community (SPC), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Oceania Regional Office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). For more information: www.kiwainitiative.org
Photo: Kiwa WISH+ Launch group photo_Photo credit Parijata Gurdayal © Kiwa Initiative – 131022