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COAST TO COAST

Ridge to Reef: Community-Based Coastal Protection in Samoa

August 13^th, 2014

Facing Mother Nature

AN ISLAND NATION AT RISK

Tropical Cyclone Evan (2012) was the most severe storm to hit the island nation of Samoa in more than 20 years. NASA commented that their satellites occasionally observe “storm-cells as tall as the one in the eyewall of Evan… over land, but before the TRMM [Tropical Rainfall Monitoring Mission] satellite, they were not thought to occur over ocean”. Tropical cyclones are exacerbated by climate change: warmer, moister air lowers the surface pressure and encourages intensification of the winds circling the eye.

No one expected that there was going to be a cyclone… When Cyclone Evan hit we all ran up to the main road and the whole village ran up to higher places. The waves came in the houses and destroyed some of the houses… The waves covered the land. For the church, the whole roof was destroyed. - Pepe Utai, Mayor of Tafitoala

Damage from Cyclone Evan underscored the fragility of Samoa’s coastal zone, and highlighted the importance of comprehensive coastal zone management.

Over the past 10 years we’ve had some extreme tropical cyclones like Heta in 2004, and 5 near miss cyclones in the 2005 cyclone season alone. Then there was the tsunami in 2009, and recently in 2012 with Cyclone Evan, so it’s becoming a common problem that most communities in Samoa face, and coastal communities [in particular]. Given that 75% of government assets and residential settlements are within the coastal zone, this coastal erosion problem is becoming a major issue now. - Moira Faletutulu, Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Samoa National Co-ordinator

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

SHORELINE PROTECTION AND RIVER DEFENCE

The PACC Samoa project began with the realisation that coastal zone management requires full stakeholder involvement and community-wide participation.

In Samoa, there are traditional ties to land. It’s very important. People see it as part of their identity, so they value land highly. This problem of coastal erosion and inundation will directly impact people’s livelihoods. – Moira Faletutulu, National PACC Coordinator for Samoa.

Part of PACC’s strategy is to help communities adapt to, and make informed decisions about, climate risks and responses. As part of this effort, the partners undertook community ‘fono’, stakeholder meetings, and national consultative processes. All of these produced a combined manual for shoreline protection and river defence, and created a bylaw that directly involves the community in the rehabilitation of river and water catchment areas.

In addition, a water resource bylaw on coastal protection was formulated and endorsed for the village of Tafitoala, putting the community in charge of enforcing their own rules.

The bylaw was created by the community members, for the community and enforced by the community. The decisions and village rules will be recognised in the court system as an enforcement vehicle for the main Water Resource Management Act. - Moira Faletutulu, National PACC Coordinator for Samoa.

The bylaw will hopefully put an end to unsustainable activities such as the clearing of priority forest areas and vegetation, and the pollution of rivers with chemicals or cattle waste. I have learned a lot from the [PACC] consultations and I see this as an important programme for our people. They need to be aware about these things. - Pepe Utai, Mayor of Tafitoala.

Policy reform is necessary for effective climate change adaptation, but so is comprehensive climate proofing of infrastructure. PACC Samoa is working in three villages (Tafitoala on Upolu, Lefagaoalii and Lalomalava on Savai’i) to re-vegetate coastal areas, build protection structures, protect coastal water springs and build community awareness through consultations.

The coasts are where the people live. Most of the low-lying areas in Samoa are vulnerable to flooding, sea-level rise and storm surges. If we don‘t do something, people will be negatively affected in the near future. We can see signs of that vulnerability at the moment within the low-lying areas. – Sooalo Tito Alatimu, Principal Forester, Forestry Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE).

SHORELINE ALTERATION

RE-VEGETATION AND NATURAL BUFFER ZONES

As part of the PACC project, indigenous plants were used to bolster rock wall defences along coastal and lowland river areas. To reduce the risk of flooding, 2,593 acres of upland water catchment areas were also re-vegetated and rehabilitated. By using plants to fortify these defences, greenhouse gas emissions are also lowered, thus fighting both the causes and the consequences of climate change.

RIDGE TO REEF

LIVING WITH RIVERS AND THE SEA

Working from the ridge to the reef, PACC Samoa activities have provided lessons on integrated coastal zone management and watershed protection, including lessons from extreme events such as Cyclone Evan. Building on these experiences, the project is currently developing the ‘Living with Rivers and the Sea’ manual. Future adaptation works, in particular shoreline and river defence management, will be informed by this manual and the understanding that coastal protection requires integrated watershed management.

If you can really care for your coastal environment, that will be your first line of defence for any kind of disturbance that comes. We know that having a good and healthy environment results in having healthy people too. A well protected environment from the reef to the ridge will be really good for the people of Samoa. – Sooalo Tito Alatimu, Principal Forester, Forestry Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE).

THE PACC PROGRAMME

Championed by the Government of Samoa, the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) programme receives direct support from UNDP as the implementing agency. Project execution is ensured by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

The PACC programme is funded by the Global Environment Facility‘s Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) – a fund that was established to support adaptation and technology transfer in all developing country parties to the UNFCCC. Additional funding has been provided by the Australian Government to support the replication of successful adaptation interventions in a broader range of vulnerable communities.

The PACC programme is the largest climate change adaptation initiative in the Pacific region, with demonstration projects in 14 Pacific island countries. It directly benefits 80 communities, piloting on-the-ground adaptation solutions.

For more information on the project, please visit UNDP-ALM PACC Samoa Project Profile. Additional information can be found at www.sprep.org/pacc/samoa and www.pacificclimatechange.net.