National Events

February - Waste Awareness Day
Waste awareness day is part of the Ministry’s objectives to improve its services to control and monitor all types of waste materials generated from households and other places such as factories, businesses, restaurants etc. Some of the activities that have been implemented include the new rehabilitation of the Tafaigata Dumpsite, Biogas and Composting Project. The collection of rubbish from rural areas in Upolu and Savaii started in 2001.

March - Chemical Awareness Day
Chemicals are very important to our daily lives in terms of agricultural development and health promotion. However, some of these chemicals are becoming threats as a result of their impacts to the biodiversity of our natural environment and human health. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a term to describe 8 pesticides 2 industrial chemicals and dioxins and furans, which are by-products of combustion. These make up the 12 POPs found in Samoa. Basically, these POPs remain in our environment and pollute and damage our environment until they are naturally degraded. The POPs project was established as part of Stockholm Convention objectives to deal with POPs in small island nations.

May - Biodiversity Awareness Day
Commemoration of Biodiversity in Samoa goes back to 1994 after Samoa acceded to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 that was later ratified in 1993. It was part of Samoa’s obligation to this convention that Biodiversity Day is an annual event to be commemorated in May to show government support for the protection and conservation of biological diversity resources in a sustainable manner for today and future generations.

July - Climate Change Day
Climate Change awareness day is an important annual event which highlights the vulnerable status of small island developing states like Samoa to the frequent changes in the climatic patterns of the weather. Thus the previous cyclones Ofa (1990) and Val (1991) which Samoa experienced had contributed too much damage caused to infrastructures and agricultural land. Also, major environmental problems currently experienced by communities living in lowland coastal areas on coastal erosion, frequent flooding during heavy rainy days and landslides are major indicators of Samoa’s vulnerability. The Government, through this particular day provides awareness programs in the form of media publicity, seminars and workshops to emphasize the seriousness of climate change issue in Samoa and what we need to do in the form of adaptation to address this issue. Though much awareness programs is also focused on educational activities through school competitions and assisting students with research work. The climate change project was established under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as part of their obligation to the Climate Change Convention.

September - Ozone Day
Promotion on ozone awareness has long been initiated and well publicized before the establishment of the National Ozone Unit (NOU) in 1999. This has helped the NOU with its own ozone promotions. Activity implementation has received commendable results from previous awareness programs and there has been positive response from the general public. Publicity of the ozone issue has mainly been conducted through the media, newspapers, television, radio and displays of posters, pamphlets and press releases and it’s ongoing throughout the year. However, National Ozone Day commemoration officially started in 1993 following the accession to the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol. This particular day highlights school competition in the form of project displays of posters and the dissemination of information. Also the private sector through the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning sector provides displays of ozone materials and ODS-based equipments (Ozone Depleting Substances) and products are show cased during this event.

November - Environment Week and Arbor Day
Every year during the past ten years in the last week of October and first week November, MNRE celebrates Environment Week. Public activities are organized to focus attention on the environment, improve community awareness and foster public participation in natural resource management and sustainable development.
Environment Week has a different theme each year reflecting global environmental issues; such as the sustainable management of natural resources, climate change issues, biodiversity etc and the launching of projects managed and implemented by MNRE. Another major event during the week is the Arbor Day / Tree Planting day a world event emphasizing the importance of reforestation at the global, national and community or grass-root level and this particular day is also a public holiday.

Environment International Conventions in which Samoa has become a party to, are one the main emphasis of the week and these conventions include:
Convention Biological Diversity – 1994
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 2002
United Nation Framework Convention for Climate Change – 1994
Kyoto Protocol 2000
Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol – 1992
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants – 2002
World Heritage Convention – 2001
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal – 2002

November - National Environment Forum
The National Environment Forum (NEF) is an annual event hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (MNRE) for anyone who wishes to share their experience or discuss an issue relating to sustainable resource management or the environment in Samoa or abroad. The first NEF was in 1999 with presenters from various organizations such as government departments, non-government organisations and academic institutions. Over the years the NEF has attracted key speakers from academic institutions and organizations overseas.
The NEF opens up an opportunity for Samoan graduates to share with the public their experience and views on environmental issues and at the same time suggest solutions or appropriate methodologies to mitigate environmental problems. MNRE has published three editions of the NEF from 1999, 2000, 2001 and the latest publication is the 2002 NEF to be displayed during the 2003 NEF.

To order your copy of the National Environment Forum Vol.1-4 please send
an email to: info@mnre.gov.ws