2025 Reports

E tetele a Pesega ae matua i le Oo: Living with Climate Change in Apia, Samoa

Latai-Niusulu, Anita

This case study explores the lived realities of climate change in Samoa’s capital region. The Apia Urban Area (AUA), home to a significant portion of Samoa’s population and infrastructure, faces increasing environmental risks due to rising temperatures, more intense rainfall, flooding, and sea level rise. The study highlights the multifaceted strategies employed by Samoans to adapt, including household mobility, infrastructural developments, and community-based conservation initiatives. Key projects such as the Apia Waterfront Development Project and the Vaisigano Catchment Project demonstrate integrated approaches to urban climate resilience that combine traditional knowledge, modern planning, and external funding. The findings underscore the importance of inclusive, culturally grounded, and adaptive responses to climate change that align with local needs and practices, ensuring sustainable urban resilience in Samoa’s most vulnerable areas.