The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), through the GEF-8 Blue and Green Islands Integrated Programme – Coastal Resilience Samoa (BGI-IP CRS) Project, conducted a stakeholder consultation with the Safata 1 and Safata 2 Districts at Nuusuatia on Thursday 20th August 2026.
The consultation forms part of the project’s district-by-district engagement process across the nine target districts in Upolu and Savai‘i. The project is implemented by MNRE in collaboration with the UNDP and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It aims to strengthen the resilience of Samoa’s ecosystems and communities to climate change and other environmental pressures.
The consultation provided an opportunity to update community representatives on the objectives, planned interventions and implementation arrangements of the Coastal Resilience Samoa Project, with particular emphasis on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and opportunities for community participation in sustainable management of natural resources.
Representatives from the Safata 1 and Safata 2 communities were able to share their views, priorities and local perspectives to help inform the identification and prioritisation of project interventions. This participatory process is designed to ensure that comMunity knowledge and priorities are integrated into project planning and implementation.
The consultation also supports the project’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Survey, which is being undertaken to establish baseline information on community knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to coastal resilience, natural resource management and environmental conservation.
The information gathered through the consultations and KAP Survey will contribute to evidence-based planning, monitoring and implementation of the project, while strengthening community ownership and participation in building resilient landscapes and seascapes for the benefit of present and future generations.