The Kiwa Initiative Supports the Oceania Planetary Health Forum

The Kiwa Initiative is proud to support the Oceania Planetary Health Forum (OPHF), held in Suva, Fiji, organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). This key event strengthens efforts towards climate resilience and biodiversity conservation in the Pacific, highlighting the importance of Nature-based Solutions in addressing the region’s environmental and health challenges.

This forum featured an intervention by Ms. Virginie Bleitrach, Regional Director of the French Development Agency (AFD). As the Chair of the Kiwa Initiative Steering Committee in 2025, and representing its five donors— the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France, Ms. Bleitrach emphasized the importance of an integrated and unifying vision of health. “By fostering regional collaboration and coordinated action, this forum provides a platform to address critical challenges that the Pacific faces due to climate change and globalization and ensures that local communities remain at the center of the implemented solutions” she said.

Source AFD – Agence Française de développement

The Kiwa WISH+ project led by the WCS, which will provide insights for some sessions of this forum, exemplifies this approach by working with communities at the watershed level in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji. By addressing upstream pressures such as erosion, deforestation, and pollution, the project demonstrates that protecting and restoring forests, implementing proper water sanitation measures, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices can significantly improve both human and ecosystem health, extending benefits to downstream coral reef systems.

Through initiatives like this, the Kiwa Initiative reaffirms its commitment to working closely with local stakeholders to build a resilient future in the face of climate change.