• Oceans and Islands Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response
• Community Lifelines Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response
• Community Risk Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response

Oceans and Islands Programme

Issues

• Management of ocean, coastal and land-based resources.
• Sustainability of ocean, coastal and island ecosystems.

Concerns

• Need to strengthen marine resource management and monitoring regimes.
• Lack of quality data and poor data management in all sectors of environmental management.
• Overfishing, inshore environmental degradation, ongoing coastal developments, pollution and natural disasters have adversely affected the coastal resources and marine environment.
• Limited expertise in specialised areas relating to resource management.
• Need to harmonise national laws and customary systems.
• Need to coordinate and combine the different legislation that relates to marine resource conservation and management.
• Sediment and nutrient pollution of lagoons and damage to reef systems

Response

• The Certificate of Earth Science and Marine Geology CESMG builds the capacity of island member nationals in the areas of applied geoscience and forms the basis, for some, to pursue higher education in degree courses in geoscience.
• SOPAC’s monitoring of the physical and chemical change in ecosystems of island member countries embraces the philosophy of Global Ocean Observing Systems GOOS, which advocates public access to long-term oceanographic data and information. The recently established regional alliance of GOOS, the Pacific Islands – Global Ocean Observing System PI-GOOS, seeks to ensure that relevant applications for ocean observations and resulting products from global, regional and national long-term observing systems are developed and made available to Pacific Island end-users in order that they can make better decisions for sustainable development.
• The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project provides tide gauge and other data, and related products, collected over the past fifteen years. SOPAC provides an important maintenance and operations role for project equipment installations.
• SOPAC also offers assistance in the area of Ocean Governance, by offering professional development programmes for strengthening legal and negotiation skills of advocates for maritime boundary delimitation, the implementation of Part XIII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS through the provision of technical skills and policy advice, and the coordination of issues related to the law of the sea in their member country regions

Community Lifelines Programme

Issues

• Provision of foundations for healthy, productive and sustainable communities and economy (energy, water and sanitation, and ICT)

Concerns

• Fragmented management approach and lack of understanding of related issues in the water resources sector (both the Department of Lands and Environment and the MAFFM have catchment responsibilities and there is little coordination between water users).
• Need to develop a water resource Master Plan.
• Limited community involvement in water resource management.
• Insufficient knowledge and understanding of water resources and responsible management.
• Excessively high consumption of water as a result of inefficient use of existing supplies and supply leakage.
• Cyclone damage and land clearance threaten ability of water catchment areas to hold water.
• Need promotion of viable renewable energy development.
• Need to develop an energy policy with strengthened involvement of all related departments.
• Need careful monitoring of government-owned energy supply companies and facilities.
• Increase in non-biodegradable and hazardous wastes, particularly in urban areas.
• Enforcement of waste management controls constrained by lack of personnel.
• No central reticulated sewerage system.
• Disposal of hospital waste.

Response

• The continual assessment of wind development and energy resources, the provision of technical assistance and training of staff in this area, and the provision and maintenance of a database which will assist the decision making and capacity building of concerned and relevant human resources;
• The development of energy resources that incorporate new and related technologies, the improvement of community access to and awareness of these energy resources, in order to ensure sustainable management;
• The development of cost effective and suitable technology such as Geographic Information Systems GIS and Remote Sensing on spatial data for the region that is accessible for relevant stakeholders, regionally and internationally; the development of intranet and internet technologies; relevant support to the government departments concerned, and ensuring the accuracy of available data;
• The provision of technical advice on water and sanitation in the region, its proper management and awareness of waste management; the development of strategies that will reduce member islands’ vulnerability to drought;
• The review of existing policy and legislation in water, energy and relevant information and communication technologies that relate to SOPAC work programmes; representation of Pacific concerns at global forums, and the coordination of regional action plans in these areas.

Community Risk Programme

Issues

• Management of community vulnerability to natural hazards and risks, which can have devastating impacts economically, socially and environmentally.

Concerns

• Vulnerability to natural disasters such as cyclones and flooding is particularly significant given the concentration of settlements in Samoa that are located in exposed coastal areas.
• Vulnerability to the potential impacts of climate change and progressive sea level rise.
• Need to identify cost effective and adaptive management approaches and national disaster response strategies and incorporate them into national strategic plans.

Response

• Provision of regional support to the strengthening of National Disaster Management Arrangements in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the World Bank in the case of Samoa.
• Provision of support for the development of a national action plans to support the implementation of the regional framework for action 2005-2015
• Strengthening of emergency response and coordination capability, particularly the role and responsibility of the Samoa Fire Service, to ensure improved levels of emergency response and community preparedness.
• Provision of support where appropriate for Samoa Islands’ representation at international training programmes, workshops and conferences.
• Provision of high-level advocacy to promote the mainstreaming of disaster risk management through the application of CHARM.
• Conducting CHARM national training courses and workshops
• Provision of post disaster technical or institutional support following the impact of disasters.