COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS SUPPORT SAMOA’S CLIMATE LOSS AND DAMAGE MAPPING INTIATIVE – JULY 23, 2026

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC), is undertaking community consultations and field activities under the “Geospatial Mapping of Loss and Damage Sites in Samoa Project”.

The initiative aims to identify and validate priority climate Loss and Damage sites across Upolu, Savaiʻi, Manono and Apolima, while gathering local knowledge and geospatial information on the impacts of climate change on communities, infrastructure, ecosystems and livelihoods.

Community consultations were held in Upolu on Thursday 24th July 2026 , followed by a consultation in Rural Savaiʻi on Monday 27th July 2026 . An Urban Savaiʻi Community Consultation is scheduled for Wednesday 29th July 2026 , followed by field activities as part of the implementation mission and subsequent consultations with communities in Manono and Apolima .

The project will also include further fieldwork and a National Stakeholder Consultation in the following week, bringing together relevant stakeholders to support the validation of priority Loss and Damage sites and strengthen the evidence base for climate resilience planning.

The information gathered through the consultations and field activities will contribute to the development of geospatial datasets , climate impact assessments , and decision-support tools to strengthen climate risk planning , inform adaptation priorities , and support Samoa’s access to international Loss and Damage financing.