News Room

(February 01, 2021) The repairing of a borehole in Tavulomo Village in the district of Dama in Bua Province has brought water to more than 180 people. In April 2020, the solar pump was damaged and stopped delivering water from the borehole to the 37 households in Tavulomo Village. Since then, the villages relied on the limited and restricted water supply from the neighbouring village in the district.In November, the villagers with support from the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) proje...

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(October 08, 2020) A week long mission aboard the Nai’a Fiji Cruises to survey coral reef ecosystems in the Namena Marine Reserve and Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park. A recent expedition to Fiji’s largest two community protected areas, Namena Marine Reserve (88 km2) and Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park (110.5 km2), shows that they are making an incredible recovery from the impact of a tropical cyclone in 2016.                    Coral recruits ©Tom Vie...

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(September 03, 2020) The sea cucumber fishery is an important source of income for the people of Natuvu village in the District of Wailevu in Cakaudrove Province on Vanua Levu. Of the 30 sea cucumber species present in Fiji, 14 are most valuable to the fishers of Natuvu. However, the rapidly declining fishery and its inconsistent prices have concerned the villagers over time. Therefore, to ensure the continuity of their livelihood for generations, the people of Natuvu village have committed to putting the right man...

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(July 30, 2020) Four staff with the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project are among the pioneers to undertake a Higher Education Degree by Research (HDR) at the Fiji National University (FNU). FNU’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS) officially launched its HDR programme in July this year. As part of the capacity building and development program, the staff are awarded the scholarship through WISH Fiji project funded by Australian Government Departme...

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(May 28, 2020) The staff of Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project joined the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) to clean the premises of St. Giles Hospital in Reservoir Road, Suva, yesterday.                                                                               ...

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(May 17, 2020) Of the top five countries in the world most at risk to disasters, three are Pacific Island nations. Yet, Pacific Islanders time and again exhibit marked abilities to quickly recover. Part of the reason may be due to strong social networks that help to distribute resources to those most in need. A new study published in the journal Coastal Management by researchers from the University of Hawaiʿi, National Geographic Society and the Wildlife Conservation Society has found that sharing is stronger ...

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(March 11, 2020) Outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as dengue fever, typhoid and leptospirosis are common in Fiji. Since 2005, there has been at least 20 reported cases of typhoid, a 27,000 case dengue outbreak between 2013 to 2014 and a three-fold increase in leptospirosis cases since Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016. The Watershed Interventions for System Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project is helping to better understand drivers of these diseases within Fiji’s watersheds, and working with local commun...

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(March 09, 2020) Women play a myriad of roles on a daily basis, taking care of family, performing domestic duties, financially and emotionally supporting the household, contributing to professional sectors, building community and supporting the national economy.  In Fiji, women in coastal communities have engaged in the fisheries sector for decades. Their contributions towards household and economy, however, have often been undervalued. A national report on ‘The critical contribution of women fis...

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(November 20, 2019) “There is a growing interest in ensuring that the approaches used in fisheries and conservation, incorporate gender equity and social inclusion to ensure outcomes are fair, just and sustainable.” Speaking as a panelist at a Session at the 2019 FAO International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability in Rome, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fiji Country Program Director, Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai shared her views on how gender and social inclusion could enhance food security and biodiv...

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(October 03, 2019) As conservationists grapple with unprecedented levels of coral reef bleaching in the world’s warming oceans, scientists in the Indian and Pacific Oceans used the most recent El Nino of 2016 (the warmest year on record) to evaluate the role of excess heat as the leading driver of coral bleaching. A study titled “Temperature patterns and mechanisms influencing coral bleaching during the 2016 El Niño” has revealed that coral bleaching is not only a result of heat stress but...

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