Focus on Kiwa WISH+ project - Context
The Kiwa WISH+ project is the 3rd project of the Kiwa Initiative®. The project implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Society – WCS Melanesia aims to integrate watershed management at key sites in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, while developing financing mechanisms to enable the large-scale delivery of human and ecosystem co-benefits.
Why this project? Why on these sites?
Melanesia is globally recognized for its exceptional biodiversity and high levels of endemism. However, it is also extremely vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, extreme precipitation droughts and temperature changes.
Fiji's native forests are distinguished by their high levels of endemism, but are experiencing continued degradation in small coastal watersheds.
Solomon Islands has experienced intensive logging since the 1990s which has resulted in social impacts as well as impacts to water quality and downstream resources
Papua New Guinea experienced a 15% net loss of forests between 1972 and 2002, and 8.8% of forests were degraded (Shearman et al. 2009)
