Samoa offers ‘blueprint’ for change
While the rest of the world is struggling to adapt to climate change, Samoan villages are already facing the challenge.
The village of Aopo has moved their entire community further inland as a response to cyclones and extreme weather.
In new research, on the impact of climate change on Pacific Island countries, residents noted awareness of hotter days and longer dry spells, and have seen intensive deforestation, cyclone devastation and forest fires.
‘‘Aopo is a good example of a village making a decision to move away from the coast and set up a new settlement,’’ University of Otago Professor Tony Binns said.
Two further villages, Sa’anapu and Malaela, had moved further from the coast to higher land following the 2009 tsunami, Binns said.
The scale of their readiness for climate change could be considered a ‘‘blueprint’’ for Western societies, he said.
‘‘These communities are incredibly resilient and they’ve been coping with their environment for many years,’’ Binns said. ‘‘They’re not panicking ... they feel that they’re in control their communities.’’
A report co-authored by researchers from the National University of Samoa and University of Otago warns officials would ignore the Samoan village expertise at their peril.
Binns said what they found in Samoa challenges the Western perception about Pacific nations’ abilities to respond to change, and New of developing
Zealand could learn a thing or two from the results.
The communities attended meetings often, for prayers and other activities, which was something other societies lacked, Binns said. ‘‘These communities regularly get together to talk about ... community issues.’’
Western societies were too distracted by life and technology, he said.
In all Samoan villages, residents were diversifying food and water sources, being geographically mobile, having more than one place to live, and developing mental and spiritual strength in the face of climate change. ‘‘They know how to cope with it. The villagers were telling us that there’s a fair amount of resilience in those communities.’’
The residents were pragmatic and positive, he said.
For decades already, Samoa has been hammered by natural disasters, such as Cyclones Ofa and Val in the 1990s which had a devastating effect on communities.
More than 70 per cent of Samoa’s population lives in 330 rural villages across Upolu and Savaii, and most of the country’s infrastructure, population and development is near the coastline.
Binns said governments needed to take note. ‘‘Governments need to carefully reconsider their expenditure in relation to climate change adaptation, with perhaps less spending directed towards building seawalls and coastal roads,’’ he said.
‘‘More support should be given to other climate change adaption initiatives such as village, church and family activities that strengthen social networks and build social memory.’’
A state-of-the-art research centre for climate change opened in Apia in September this year.
The paper is co-authored by Dr Anita Latai-Niusulu from the National University of Samoa, and University of Otago Professors Tony Binns and Etienne Nel, both from the School of Geography.
The researchers interviewed 165 residents in villages across Samoa’s main islands, Upolu and Savaii.