https://fiji.wcs.org RSS feeds for WCS Fiji 60 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/18133/WISH-to-address--Water-Related-Disease-Risks-Climate-Resilience-and-Biodiversity.aspx#Comments 0 https://fiji.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20413&ModuleID=42303&ArticleID=18133 https://fiji.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=18133&PortalID=82&TabID=20413 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/18133/WISH-to-address--Water-Related-Disease-Risks-Climate-Resilience-and-Biodiversity.aspx 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   pgurdayal@wcs.org Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:43:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:18133 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/18130/WISH-Fiji-Reduces-Water-Related-Disease-Risk-Facilitates-Access-to-Cleaner-Water.aspx#Comments 0 https://fiji.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20413&ModuleID=42303&ArticleID=18130 https://fiji.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=18130&PortalID=82&TabID=20413 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/18130/WISH-Fiji-Reduces-Water-Related-Disease-Risk-Facilitates-Access-to-Cleaner-Water.aspx Through a systems approach to watershed management, the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project has provided access to cleaner quality water for over 5,000 residents and has helped reduce the risk of water-related disease in 29 communities across five watersheds in Fiji.   Over the past four years, the WISH Fiji project has worked to transform environmental and public health action from reactive to preventative, while improving systems health of coastal watersheds to maintain the integrity and buffer against water-related disease and natural disasters. This has been done by identifying common drivers associated with water-related disease risk in coastal human populations and ill health in downstream ocean ecosystems, and then reducing those risks through integrated watershed management through targeted actions operating at different scales. Through collaboration with Fiji Government and 29 communities across 5 watersheds, the WISH Fiji team implemented over 150 types of management interventions, principally related to improvements in water systems, integrated planning, land use management and waste management. These interventions have contributed to cleaner water for over 5,000 rural Fijians. Results and lessons learned from the WISH Fiji project have been showcased at a national two-day workshop, highlighting successes against national development targets achieved through multi-sectoral collaboration. Dr. Aaron Jenkins, Senior Research Fellow in Planetary Health from the University of Sydney and Edith Cowan University said that watershed condition affects the health and well-being of people and downstream ecosystems. Studies indicate that there is a higher incidence of water-related diseases like leptospirosis and typhoid within watersheds with high amounts of cleared land and higher densities of livestock accessing waterways. Studies also show that some of these same land-based activities around watersheds contribute to increased sediments and nutrients entering waterways which can have devastating impacts on freshwater and coastal coral reef ecosystems on which people depend on for food, livelihoods, and cultural practice. “WISH Fiji was designed to reduce risks to people from Fiji’s three plagues (leptospirosis, typhoid, and dengue), as well as other diarrheal diseases (collectively ‘LTDDs’), by improving overall systems health, which provides co-benefits for downstream ecosystems,” said Dr. Jenkins. WISH Fiji Project Manager, Timoci Naivalulevu from Fiji National University added, “In addition to reducing the risk of water-related disease, we focused on enabling communities to realise their fundamental right to clean water, while strengthening peoples’ connection to their lands and sea. To do this, we worked with a large number of partners across multiple sectors including the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Forests, Ministry of Environment and Waterways, Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development, Ministry of Infrastructure and the Water Authority of Fiji.” WISH Fiji was implemented by University of Sydney, Edith Cowan University, Fiji National University and the Wildlife Conservation Society and was funded by the Australian Government’s Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security and Bloomberg Philanthropies' Vibrant Oceans Initiative.   pgurdayal@wcs.org Wed, 12 Oct 2022 12:31:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:18130 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/17618/Vatu-i-Ra-Conservation-Parks-monitoring-and-surveillance-strengthened-with-support-from-WCS-and-IUCN.aspx#Comments 0 https://fiji.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20413&ModuleID=42303&ArticleID=17618 https://fiji.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=17618&PortalID=82&TabID=20413 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/17618/Vatu-i-Ra-Conservation-Parks-monitoring-and-surveillance-strengthened-with-support-from-WCS-and-IUCN.aspx The coastal communities of the Nakorotubu District in Ra Province now have ten fish wardens and a patrol boat to help monitor and safeguard Fiji’s largest conservation park, established as a partnership between local communities and tourism operators.    pgurdayal@wcs.org Thu, 02 Jun 2022 02:32:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:17618 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/17581/Traditional-leaders-of-Ovalau-launch-an-island-scale-plan-to-manage-resources-sustainably.aspx#Comments 0 https://fiji.wcs.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=20413&ModuleID=42303&ArticleID=17581 https://fiji.wcs.org:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=17581&PortalID=82&TabID=20413 https://fiji.wcs.org/News-Room/ID/17581/Traditional-leaders-of-Ovalau-launch-an-island-scale-plan-to-manage-resources-sustainably.aspx With support from WCS, an entire island, with a population of about 9,000, has come together to commit to an integrated approach of natural resource management where the cumulative impact of human activities will be managed with the aim of balancing sustainable development with biodiversity protection. pgurdayal@wcs.org Fri, 27 May 2022 03:50:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:17581