The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) through its Disaster Management Office, alongside key government stakeholders and development partners, convened the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment Initial Workshop on 14 October 2026 at Lava Hotel.
The workshop represents a coordinated effort to strengthen Samoa’s disaster risk management framework through a systematic assessment of national preparedness capacities, hazard risk, exposure and vulnerability.
As part of this national initiative, government ministries, agencies and development partners are working collaboratively to evaluate Samoa’s disaster preparedness capacities, identify existing vulnerabilities and assess exposure to multiple hazards. The findings will provide an evidence-based foundation for strengthening disaster risk reduction policies, enhancing preparedness planning and guiding strategic investment priorities.
Through the integration of multi-hazard information, geospatial data and risk analysis, supported by the Pacific Disaster Center’s DisasterAWARE platform, the initiative aims to enhance the availability of actionable risk information at the district level. This will support more informed decision-making, strengthen early warning systems and promote coordinated approaches to disaster preparedness and response.
The Ministry acknowledges the continued support of the United States Embassy in Samoa and the Pacific Disaster Center in advancing national and regional disaster risk management capacities. Their partnership reflects the importance of sustained collaboration in addressing the increasing complexity of disaster risks and climate-related challenges.