Bio-diversity

The proposed project is to reduce the vulnerability of Safai village and the surrounding ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. The village was destroyed by the cyclones of 1990 and 1991 when over 80% of the homes located on the coast were damaged by strong winds and surging waves. The wetland ecosystem, the inshore coral reef systems, the mangrove forests, along with agricultural and livestock were all destroyed or damaged. The total loss of homes resulted in the majority of families relocating to customary lands further inland. Despite the movement inland, the road that leads to the new location of homes is still affected during heavy rainfall and extreme high seas flooding the road, and damaging the agricultural and livestock farms. The wetland and coral reef systems also suffer damage during these extreme weather patterns from siltation, and salinzation. The project proposes activities to reduce the vulnerability of the community by ensuring the uninhibited movement of the water from the wetland to the sea while at the same time strengthening the resilience of the land to coastal erosion through the construction of appropriate retention wall together with replanting of wetland vegetation along the edge of the wetland. Through the proposed activities, the project anticipates to reduce the wetland ecosystems impact from flooding with the regular flushing of water out into the sea, while continuing to provide a nursery for juvenile fish. The anticipated increase in the flushing of water into the sea should restore the balance in the movement of inshore currents that would reduce the speed of coastal erosion and improve the re-growth of the coral reef.

Samoa