A watershed is a geographic location where all the water drains towards the same stream or river, sea or groundwater table. Watersheds face a wide range of threats, both man-made and natural, e.g. economic activities, climate change, tropical cyclones, forest fires, invasive species, etc. They do, however, play a crucial role since they fulfill many functions and provide numerous services such as maintaining water quality, conserving biodiversity, recreational activities, etc.
Water management and preservation of watersheds are part of the key priority actions of the PROTEGE Project (Pacific Territories Regional Project for Sustainable Ecosystem Management). Therefore, in February 2021 the three projects led by the Houaïlou municipality, ONF International in Touho and WWF in Dumbea have been selected to implement these actions. The objective is to protect and preserve the watersheds intended for drinking water supply in New Caledonia.
These initiatives are financed by the European Union (EU) and the Office français de la biodiversité (OFB). Find out more information on SPC's PROTEGE Project website.
