Stakeholders Unanimously Select New Watershed Area for the WISH Project
Background
Since 2018, the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health (WISH) in Fiji Project has worked closely with local governments, communities, and stakeholders in three priority catchments selected for their ecological significance and socio-economic importance. The project’s interventions focus on enhancing water quality, reducing soil erosion, restoring native vegetation, and promoting sustainable land-use practices. These efforts have contributed to improved ecosystem services, strengthened community resilience, and informed policy frameworks at local and regional levels.
Naïve Watershed Selection Meeting
Against a backdrop of Suva’s waterfront, key project partners, environmental scientists, community representatives, and policymakers met on 12 June 2025, to select a naïve watershed site for the WISH-Pacific project.
To rigorously measure the health and environmental impacts of WISH Pacific, a “naïve” watershed – one that has not yet benefited from any WISH interventions, is the perfect starting point. This allows for the collection of baseline data on disease incidence, environmental risks, and community conditions before any changes are made. This not only strengthens the scientific validity of the project’s research findings but it also demonstrates the real-world effectiveness of nature-based solutions and cross-sectoral interventions.
Delivering the opening address at the meeting, Dr. Frances Bingwor representative of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) – under the flagship Partnerships for Healthy Region initiative stated that “WISH-Pacific is a shining example of the strategic investment in planetary health. With its integrated approach, WISH-Pacific addresses the root causes of waterrelated diseases through watershed management, health surveillance, and community-led action. It stands as a truly multisectoral, evidencebased initiative that aligns perfectly with Australia’s regional health priorities”.
After rigorous review and deliberation, stakeholders selected a new watershed area in the Naitasiri Highlands bringing the total number of catchments under WISH-Pacific’s management to four. “The selected naïve watershed has the highest percentage of untreated water sources which contributes to high cases of diseases such as Leptospirosis, Typhoid, Diarrhea and Dengue Fever in the 40 villages” – Senior Assistant Roko Tui Naitasiri Mr. Sairusi Qaranivalu said.
“I first learned about the WISH Project in Namosi and I’ve see how it has positively impacted the lives of villages that are covered in the watershed and am satisfied WISH will be coming up to Naitasiri and I am looking forward to be an integral part of the project whilst serving and impacting lives of our local people/Communities,” he added.
By centering communities in every stage – from problem diagnosis to intervention and monitoring – WISH demonstrates a genuine respect for local knowledge and ensures interventions are culturally relevant and sustainable.
Looking Ahead
The naïve watershed serves as a living example to show how integrated, community led action can transform health and ecosystem outcomes, helping to guide future policy and scale-up across the Pacific.
Project leads reaffirm their commitment to working inclusively with local stakeholders to implement evidence-based interventions that safeguard water resources, enhance biodiversity, and improve livelihoods.