The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has successfully completed its second district consultation for the GEF8 Blue and Green Islands Integrated Programme – Coastal Resilience Samoa (BGI-IP CRS) Project. Building on the strong start in Faasaleleaga 3, this second session brought together local leaders and community members from the district of Faasaleleaga 4 to shape the future of their coastal and terrestrial ecosystems.
This consultation represents another vital step forward in a broader series of community engagements scheduled across nine target districts in Upolu and Savai’i. During the gathering, participants worked closely with the technical team to pinpoint vulnerable ecological areas and identify tailored Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that will safeguard local natural resources while supporting sustainable village livelihoods.
In addition to mapping out priority environmental interventions, community members participated in the project’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Survey. By capturing key baseline information on local perspectives and current environmental management practices, the KAP framework ensures that future project activities are directly informed by community insights and can be effectively monitored over time.
Through a nature-positive approach, the Coastal Resilience Samoa Project continues its mission to tackle pressing environmental challenges—such as climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss—by empowering communities to lead the charge in natural resource stewardship. MNRE extends its sincere gratitude to the chiefs, women’s groups, youth, and village representatives of Faasaleleaga 4 for their warm reception and active engagement.
The GEF8 BGI-IP Coastal Resilience Samoa Project is implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in partnership with the UNDP in Samoa, Cook Islands, Tokelau & Niue, funded by the Global Environment Facility, to enhance the climate resilience and wellbeing of Samoa’s coastal communities. The consultation team continues its mission as island-wide engagements move forward across the country! 