Climate change profoundly affects global agriculture, posing food security threats via extreme weather, temperature shifts, and rainfall variations. In the Pacific Islands, additional challenges like sea-level rise and ecosystem degradation exacerbate these issues. The American Samoa Extension Climate Forum, conducted on June 20-21, 2018, sought to address these concerns by engaging stakeholders in discussions about sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, and food security.
This is 2003 Agricultural census data for American Samoa.
This paper delves into the agriculture and livestock use in American Samoa.
Following the 2009 Samoa-Tonga earthquake, the Samoan islands, including Savai'i, Upolu, and Tutuila, have experienced accelerated sea-level rise, driven by subsidence and gravity changes, with American Samoa witnessing a 5 times faster rate than the global average. A viscoelastic model predicts a continued sea-level rise of 30-40 cm, intensifying coastal flooding.
A recently published paper, titled “Coastal proximity of populations in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories” details the methodology used to undertake the analysis and presents the findings. **Purpose** * This analysis aims to estimate populations settled in coastal areas in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTS) using the data currently available. In addition to the coastal population estimates, the study compares the results obtained from the use of national population datasets (census) with those derived from the use of global population grids.
This chapter explores the complex interactions within the climate system, emphasizing the significance of understanding climate's physical and social impacts at various scales. It underscores the importance of assessing vulnerability to climate conditions, focusing on sensitivity, exposure, and resilience, especially in Pacific Island communities facing climate-related challenges.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent the world’s plan of action for social inclusion, environmental sustainability and economic development. The mining industry has an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize significant human, physical, technological and financial resources to advance the SDGs.
This chapter discusses advances in climate change impact, adaptation, and vulnerability assessment methods, emphasizing the growing use of risk management frameworks, stakeholder involvement, and diverse scenario approaches. These developments aim to provide policy-relevant information for effective decision-making in the face of climate change, recognizing the importance of considering non-climate factors and regional-scale scenarios.
The Convention for the Protection of Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region (1986) is also known as the SPREP Convention or Noumea Convention. The Convention has two Protocols that also entered into force in 1990. This Convention is the major multilateral umbrella agreement in the Pacific Region for the protection of natural resources and the environment.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed regression equations for estimating flood-peak discharges, essential for designing infrastructure and managing flood plains. This Fact Sheet focuses on the application of the updated National Flood-Frequency (NFF) Program to rural areas on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa, while noting that new equations have been developed for various regions across the United States.
The guide seeks to rekindle debate and discussion about the value of freedom of information laws, as well as to provide a practical roadmap for their introduction, where necessary.
The guide is in three parts.
Part 1 traces developments in the field across the Pacific
Part 2 examines the principles necessary to underpin sound freedom of information laws.
Part 3 identifies 13 key elements needed for proper and effective freedom of information legislation.
This report, part of the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), discusses climate change indicators and their impacts on key sectors in American Samoa. PIRCA, a collaborative effort involving various stakeholders, aims to inform and prioritize actions in response to climate change in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands and the Hawaiian archipelago.
Short, quick pops of information to help enhance your speeches, media interviews and soundbites, presentations and general message sharing when it comes work done by Pacific islands with support from the Inform Project on environmental data use in the Pacific.
The U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) are meteorologically characterized by tropical latitudes, consistently warm temperatures, high humidity, and frequent extreme weather events influenced by factors like the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and tropical cyclones. Climate change effects, including rising sea levels and temperature, are impacting these islands, potentially leading to more severe droughts and intense precipitation events, particularly affecting freshwater resources and local ecosystems.
Draft report of the Regional Inform Meeting held August 2019 for comments from meeting participants
This project focuses on assessing American Samoa's vulnerability to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change. It engaged with the community through an online survey, interviews, and a preparedness workshop in Pago Pago. The goal is to help residents and professionals in American Samoa prepare for future hazard events and climate change impacts, providing information, stories, and guidance on disaster and climate change preparedness
The absence of historical sea-level data for the Pacific over the past 1,000 years hinders our understanding of late Neogene sea-level changes. Data from tectonically stable sites in various Pacific locations suggest that sea level was close to its present level around 1,000 years ago, rose to approximately 0.9 meters above present levels around 700 years ago during the Little Climatic Optimum, then fell during the Little Ice Age before gradually rising again over the past 200 years. Tags: Pacific, sea-level change, historical data, Little Climatic Optimum, Little Ice Age.
Climate services, which provide actionable information about climate impacts, are crucial for Pacific Islands' policy, planning, and decision-making. NOAA, in collaboration with regional partners, has undertaken projects to enhance climate services through capacity building, engagement with users, and tailored information delivery, resulting in better-informed decisions and increased regional coordination.
Developed by scientists from the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's Ecosystem Sciences Division, the Environmental Data Summary (EDS) tool utilizes survey data funded by the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP), Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), and USAID. This advanced tool, written in R, offers a consistent way to enhance in situ survey data with external environmental data, providing access to NOAA CoastWatch and OceanWatch datasets via the ERDDAP server protocol.
This study by WorldFish assesses the local impacts of logging on food security, fisheries and well-being in Malaita.