Samoa was represented at the American Samoa 3rd Disaster Resilience Summit by the MNRE, Chief Executive Officer Lealaisalanoa Frances Brown-Reupena and ACEO-DMO Fesola’i Molly Faamanatu Nielsen. The prestigious event brought together experts, government officials, and humanitarian organizations, focusing on advancing strategies for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in communities.
The theme for this year’s summit was “Our Community, Our Responsibility,” a theme that resonates deeply with our Faasamoa, our way of life. “This year’s theme is a strong reminder to us of the critical roles that we play in keeping our community safe and secure. These roles form our collective responsibility in ensuring a transformative and resilient people and communities,” said Lealaisalanoa Frances Reupena.
The summit featured leadership sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and outreach programs. The Ministry was honored to be part of these critical dialogues, sharing insights, experiences, and disaster risk management programs with communities. “This summit provides an invaluable opportunity to exchange knowledge, build partnerships, and develop innovative solutions that will enhance our ability to prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and emergencies between the two Samoas,” said Fesola’i Molly Nielsen.
The Ministry’s presence demonstrated cooperation and support between the two disaster offices and governments on areas of mutual interest, in keeping with the spirit of Atoa o Samoa.
The Ministry utilized the opportunity to conduct bilateral meetings with other agencies such as the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) on waste management, landfill and sludge treatments; the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to discuss water quality; and the Department of Resilience to discuss climate change adaptation and mitigation. Additional discussions with the Department of Biosecurity and Invasive Species covered the status of the swallowtail butterfly, while the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources focused on forestry and marine conservation.
The summit concluded with visits to the Emergency Operation Center (EOC).
The government acknowledged the Pacific Community (SPC) for their support and congratulated the Office of the Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management (ODAPM) in American Samoa for this year’s successful summit.
