The Ministry officially opened its National Environment Week on Monday, November 6, 2023 at the Samoa Arts and Culture Center at Malifa around the theme “Louder Actions to Build Back our Environment”. The Honorable Minister for Natural Resources and Environment, Afioga Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster delivered the official keynote address to officially launch the;
• National Waste Clean-up Week to collect plastic bottles, electronic waste and bulky wastes;
• National Tree Planting Week – Plant a tree today for a better tomorrow as part of the National 3 million tree planning campaign
• Samoa’s Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convention to Climate Change
• Samoa’s Fourth National Report to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Puipaa Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation Plan
• Marine Spatial Plan Phase 2 Report
• Awareness Bill Boards
• Guardians Environmental Programme Modules
• MOU with the Monash University – Global Immersion Guarantee Program
The line up of events officially kicked started with Biodiversity Pageant highlighting the theme, Act now to build back Biodiversity. The purpose of the Biodiversity Pageant is to have the local communities through men understand the impacts they may have on biodiversity that our local communities rely heavily on for food, income and health. This initiative supports the growth of ecotourism, which in turn supports biodiversity and helps maintain our way of life. Six communities were invited to participate in promoting different key species of conservation interest such as Samoa’s Manumea bird, butterflies, coral reefs, mangroves, turtles and so forth. The participating communities were Tafatafa ma Matavai, Faleaseela, Fusi Saoluafata, Magiagi and Matautu Lefaga.
To conclude the first day of the National Environment Week, the overall winner for the Mr. Biodiversity Pageant was Faleaseela promoting the Manumea bird, second place was Matautu Lefaga promoting the turtles, third place was Tafatafa and Matavai promoting coral reefs, fourth place was Magiagi promoting the butterfly and fifth place was Fusi Saoluafata promoting mangroves.
The Ministry wishes to thank all of the development partners, regional organizations, Ministries and agencies, the private sector, NGOs and Civil Societies, and most importantly the community.
