Author: Jacqueline Thomas

Forests offer a range of ecosystems services that benefit people both directly (such as food) or indirectly (such as the regulation of our climate). Many generations of Fijians have always had a strong cultural connection with the forests. For many naturally rich communities in Fiji, forests provide food, clean water, building materials, herbal medicines and …

For almost two decades, the villagers of Naviteitei, Nasaga and Tai in the Bureta District situated on Ovalau Island in the province of Lomaiviti, faced difficulties in accessing sufficient and unpolluted supply of water from the dam to their homes. The problem as told by many, was the continuous clogging of the dam by sediments …

On 17 March 2021, the Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji Country Program (WCS Fiji) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture to collectively advance and promote sustainable agricultural practices and wise land-use planning as integral components of social and economic development in Fiji. The agreement was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the …

Access to clean drinking water is critical to public health. Natural disasters such as flooding and cyclones often reduce the ​quality of drinking water. Heavy rain and flooding can cause contamination of water from livestock waste, human sewage, harmful chemicals and fertilisers. Once contaminated, drinking water can become a hazard to human health and efficiently transmit deadly …

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 …

17 September 2020 While grappling with the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services is continuing to monitor and respond to outbreaks in water-related diseases, particularly typhoid, leptospirosis and dengue fever (LTD). In the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Harold that passed through Fiji in April 2020, the Ministry announced an outbreak …

Healthy watersheds are fundamental to human health and well-being. In Fiji, rural communities are largely dependent on nearby water sources for consumption and other household activities. However, increasing development and poor land-management practices around watersheds can contribute to declines in water quality. Land-based impacts are particularly problematic in areas where logging is prevalent and unmanaged, …

By Vinesh Prasad  Healthy watersheds are critical for ecosystem and human health, but are threatened by a range of unsustainable or damaging land practices. These practices include the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides associated with farming, as well as poor animal husbandry. For example, the discharge of animal waste contaminates into waterbodies that communities are reliant …

By Sangeeta Mangubhai  Healthy watersheds are fundamental to human health and wellbeing whether you live inland or along the coast. Ridge-to-reef management is not new and organisations like the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have been supporting communities take a holistic and integrated approach to managing their resources for more than a decade. Read more. Catchment management is …