Description
- Represent USP and (IWC project team as needed) at project related activities and meetings
- Encourage and support the IWC in developing long-term relationships and collaborative opportunities with project partners.
- Uphold a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect for other project participant
IAS also continued its work on community-based watershed management with projects in Ra, Nadroga and Kadavu. Under the work communities learn about the importance of maintaining healthy watersheds and develop action plans to improve the management of the watershed.
Project Objectives
- Ph.D Supervision: Support achievement of Ph. D candiature by Mr Semisi Meo
- Work with the project team to develop a suitable Ph.D project outline, inline with USP Ph.D requirements, Mr Meo’s strengths and interests, and the needs of the larger research project.
- Provide day-to-day supervision of Mr Meo’s Ph D. Research activities Support Mr Meo’s participation in approximately 3 regional or international conferences relevant to the project, including WASH 2014 (Brisbane, Australia), the Water and Health Conference 2015 in University of North Carolina, USA (financial support is available through the project funding outlined above.)• Any other USP requirements for Ph.D Candidature
Funding
$120,437
Donors: Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
IAS’ vision to extend its community-based adaptive management approach to watershed management was realized with the award in late 2009 of two major grants, one from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under its Water and Nature Initiative to work in Kadavu and Nadroga and another from Conservation International to work in Ra.
Partners
- IWC – International Water Centre Pty Ltd (Leading Organisation)
- Institute of Applied Sciences at The University of the South Pacific
- Monash University
- University of North Carolina and Live and Learn
Highlights/Outputs
- Contribute to the development of the detailed work plan led by the Principle Investigator (Monash), together with the IWC Project Manager .Obtain ethics approvals for the research project, if required by USP (ethic approvals have been granted by Monash University)
- Review and provide constructive feedback to project outputs including:
- Project documents, such as work plan and literature review
- yearly communiques for local and national government stakeholders and AusAID (posts)
- Journals articles
- Assist in the development of the “Guidebook for enabling water and sanitation marketing in the Pacific”.
- Materials for the Pacific training workshop and Australian training workshop
- IWC Research Report
Field Work
In addition to supporting field work required by Mr Meo’s PH.D project, provide additional field support to the broader field research needs of the project for activities in Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, as outlined in the work-plan. USP Activities will include providing:• Advice in data collection needs and designing research data collection tools• Assistance in collecting data using research tools, particularly from designated communities. This might include interviews with householders and other community memebers / representatives, local and national government• Collation of data collected and provision to other research team members (via Principle Research Dr Dani Barrington)