WISH+ (Watershed Interventions for Systems Health Plus) Project Launch in Papua New Guinea

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) launched on November 23 the Kiwa WISH+ project in Papua New Guinea, in presence of Ms. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships.

Through systems health and Nature-based Solutions approaches, the Watershed Interventions for Systems Health Plus (WISH+) project, funded under the Kiwa Initiative, will deliver co-benefits for climate resilience, biodiversity and human health and well-being in Papua New Guinea.

Under the new Watershed Interventions for Systems Health Plus (WISH+) project, more than 2,000 people will benefit from improved watershed management through implementation of Nature-based Solutions and water and sanitation interventions at key sites in Manus Island watersheds, where clans have agreed to conservation deeds. In addition, the WISH+ partnership will work with the Government of Papua New Guinea and the new national Biodiversity and Climate Fund to enable financing to replicate the model across other priority sites in the country where there is high risk to human health and the health of downstream ecosystems.

Dr. Adrian Tejedor, Country Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Papua New Guinea program, said that WISH+, as part of the Kiwa Initiative, will focus on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to improve resilience to climate sensitive diseases and protect biodiversity in upstream watersheds and downstream coral reefs. “Through WISH+, WCS and our partners from the University of Sydney and University of Queensland will work with government and communities to improve the health of coastal communities. Management actions will also improve access to clean water, support biodiversity conservation, and strengthen climate resilience and livelihoods in coastal communities,” he said.

The Kiwa WISH+ regional project is funded with €4.8 million (PGK 17.5 million) from the Kiwa Initiative with co-financing of €1,8 million (PGK 6.5 million). The project will be implemented at key sites in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands and will run through June 2026.