SAMOA’S SECOND NATIONAL COMMUNICATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE FOREWORD Since signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, the Government of Samoa has made significant progress in its efforts to address the threat of climate change. With this, our Second National Communication under the UNFCCC, I am pleased to present an up-to-date summary of the steps Samoa has taken to implement the Convention. Samoa, along with is Pacific Island neighbours and all other small island developing states, is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Our land, livelihoods, culture and ecosystems are fundamentally threatened by sea level rise and the changing climatic conditions. To the best of our abilities, we in Samoa have been proactive in our efforts to deal with climate change. Amongst other things, this includes adopting policies to minimise our greenhouse gas emissions, implementing practical adaptation projects in vulnerable communities, conducting detailed systematic observation of our climate, educating our people and increasing the resilience of our natural environment. Yet Samoa acting alone can do little to stop the earth’s climate from changing. We are critically dependant on the international community finding the political will to urgently cut global greenhouse gas emissions to safe levels. And while we possess the commitment to address this issue at home, we are also in need of much greater financial and technical support. The Second National Communication is the final outcome of a lot of hard work by Samoan public servants, especially staff from the national Climate Change Section in my Ministry and their colleagues from the other government departments that make up the National Climate Change Country Team. I acknowledge and thank all these people for their efforts. I would also like to acknowledge the Global Environment Facility and its donors for supporting this project and the United Nations Development Program for acting as the implementing agency. Tu’u’u Dr Ieti Taulealo Chief Executive Officer Ministry Natural Resources and Environment 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Prepared and compiled by: Anne Rasmussen (MNRE, Principal Author) Will McGoldrick (MNRE/Consultant co-author) Close collaboration with: Tu’u’u Dr Ieti Taulealo (CEO Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment) Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea (ACEO Meteorology MNRE) National Climate Change Country Team Considerable assistance and support by these key individuals: GHG Working Group Aukuso Leavasa (MNRE) Pau Ioane (MNRE) Patila Amosa (NUS) William Cable (NUS) Jacinta Moreau (NUS) Faainu Latu (NUS) Faafetai Sagapolutele Segi Usufono Patrick Rasmussen Silia Ualesi (MoF) General Manager BOC gases V&A Working Group Sale Faletolu (EPC) Ueta Faasili (MAF) Ulusapeti Tiitii (MAF) Mose Malaga (MAF) Ricky Faatonu (MAF) Terenia Simanu (MoH) Andrew Peteru (MoH) Sinei Fili Levaai Toremana (SWA) Kuinimeri Asora (SWA) Thomas Soon (SWA) Malaki Iakopo (MNRE) Juney Ward (MNRE) Afele Failagi (MNRE) Paulino Pania (MNRE) Eiko Fuimaono (MNRE) Larissa Toelupe (MNRE) Special Mention must also be made to the considerable contribution and assistance from the following individuals and organisations: Solomone Fifita (SPREP) Dean Solofa (SPREP) Taulealeausumai Laavasa Malua (IPA) Wairarapa Young (EPC) National Communication Support Programme Professor John Hay 3 ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank AFOLU Agriculture Forestry and Land Use CRP Climate Risk Profile CERP Cyclone Emergency Recovery Program CIMP Coastal Infrastructure Management Plan EPC Electric Power Corporation EIA Environment Impact Assessment EGTT Expert Group on Technology Transfer ENSO El Nino Southern Oscilation FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation GEF Global Environment Facility GDP Gross Domestic Product GHG Green House Gas GHGAS Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy GCM Global Climate Models IPA Isikuki Punivalu and Associates IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPPU Industrial Processes and Products Use JICA Japanese International KP Kyoto Protocol MNRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries MoH Ministry of Health MWTI Ministry of Naural Resources and Environment NGOs Non Government Organisations NHS National Health Service NCCP National Climate Change Policy NCCCT National Climate Change Country Team NAPA National Adaptation Program of Action NHS National Health Services POPs Persistent Organic Pollutants PUMA Planning and Urban Management Agency PIFACC Pacific Islands Framework on Climate Change PIGAREP Pacific Island Green House Gas abatement Renewable Energy Program RDIS Research and Development SDS Sustainable Development Strategy SPREP Secretariat of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program SPCZ South Pacific Convergent Zone SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission SWA Samoa Water Authority TNA Technology Needs Assessment UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNDP United Nations Development Program V&A Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment 4 CONTENTS FOREWORD .................................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ 3 ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................... 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 6 1. NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ............................................................................. 18 1.1 GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY .................................................................. 19 1.2 CLIMATE ..................................................................................................... 20 1.3 POPULATION ............................................................................................. 20 1.4 ECONOMY .................................................................................................. 21 1.5 AGRICULTURE ........................................................................................... 22 1.6 FORESTRY ................................................................................................. 23 1.7 FISHERIES ................................................................................................. 23 1.8 WATER ....................................................................................................... 24 1.9 HEALTH ...................................................................................................... 24 1.10 WASTE ....................................................................................................... 25 1.11 WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................. 25 1.12 ENERGY ..................................................................................................... 26 1.13 TRANSPORT .............................................................................................. 26 1.14 TOURISM .................................................................................................... 26 1.15 BIODIVERSITY ........................................................................................... 27 2. NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY ..................................................... 28 2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 29 2.2 OVERVIEW AND NATIONAL EMISSIONS .................................................. 29 2.3 TRENDS IN SAMOA’S GHG EMISSIONS: 1994-2007 ................................ 31 2.4 EMISSIONS BY GAS .................................................................................. 32 2.5 SECTORAL BREAKDOWN ......................................................................... 35 2.6 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTORY ........................................................ 39 3. VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION .................................................................. 41 3.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 42 3.2 OVERVIEW OF KEY VULNERABILITIES .................................................... 44 3.3 VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION ASSESSMENT ................................ 46 3.4 VULNERABILITIES AND IMPACTS ............................................................ 50 3.5 EXISTING ADAPTATION MEASURES ....................................................... 65 3.6 ADDITIONAL ADAPTATION MEASURES ................................................... 67 3.7 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 68 4. MITIGATION ........................................................................................................... 69 4.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 70 4.2 EXISTING MITIGATION ACTIVITIES .......................................................... 73 4.3 PLANNED MITIGATION INITIATIVES ......................................................... 74 4.4 ADDITIONAL MITIGATION OPPORTUNITIES ............................................ 77 4.5 EMISSIONS SCENARIOS ........................................................................... 83 4.6 THE WAY FORWARD ................................................................................. 85 5. OTHER