NIWA works with Samoan village to build better future
A unique pilot project to help Samoa’s largest village better cope with natural disaster is the focus of an upcoming
exhibition at the Museum of Samoa timed to coincide with a major United Nations conference in Apia.
The Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States opens on 1 September and is expected to attract
about 3000 international delegates.
The pilot project was initiated by NIWA marine geologist Geoffroy Lamarche and Wellington architect Cécile Bonnifait. It
aims to help the Samoan community build its resilience to natural disasters and proposes some new building solutions
that take into account Samoan culture and local materials.
It focuses on the village of Sa’anapu on the south coast of Samoa’s main island, Upolo and combines expertise in
science, anthropology and architecture. The village was badly affected by the 2009 tsunami, during which near 150 people
lost their lives, and Cyclone Evans in late 2012.
Much of the village is built on a sand berm bounded by mangroves and a fringing reef. Both mangroves and the reef have
highly prized ecological, economic and cultural values for the village. Rising sea levels are causing erosion and
retreat of the sand berm, meaning the village has been progressively moving but not in a controlled or planned manner.
Early engagement with the council of Matais (chiefs) of Sa'anapu has enabled everyone to work towards developing a
stronger future for the village.
The exhibition will showcase some of the work already completed and includes physical models of new village facilities
that it is hoped will be built at Sa’anapu. NIWA has been involved in assessing the potential impact of a tsunami on the
village, by generating a numerical model of a tsunami originating from the Tonga Trench, and in estimating frequency of
natural disasters.
Other components of the project include planning for a community centre that transforms into an emergency shelter during
natural disasters, relocation of a pre-school outside the high hazard area, and training Samoan experts to continue
collecting survivor stories.
Dr Lamarche says the relationships between the natural environment and the architectural and social environments are
rarely accounted for in projects involving coastal island communities.
“We are merging research, creativity, construction and knowledge transfer in a very exciting way. But what makes this
pilot project really special is its focus on finding modern solutions that retain and preserve the cultural heritage,
history and traditions of the village.”
Ms Bonnifait says they want to create a new focal point for the village by creating a community building that is a
contemporary adaption of traditional Samoan architecture. Those involved have been working alongside local Matai to
learn more about the village history, and with craftsmen, guardians of the traditional building techniques.
“The engagement the people of Sa’anapu is crucial to the success of this conceptual project. We were fortunate that the
council of Matai of the village was willing to collaborate with us. One of the orators - Popese Leaana (Tupu) - has a
unique skill set that combines excellent technical expertise of local and traditional construction and a direct
knowledge of the effects of climate change and natural hazards on the village. ”
Funding for the early stages of the project has been a joint effort between NIWA and the Pacific Fund, created in 1985
by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to promote social, economic, scientific and cultural development and
integration in the Pacific.
The exhibition opens at the Museum of Samoa on 28 August and runs until 24 October 2014. The official opening will be on
September 1 and will be attended by Samoa, New Zealand, France and New Caledonia dignitaries as well as many Sa’anapu
residents. Dr Lamarche says the next stage of the project is to secure more funding so that this conceptual project can
progress to a feasibility stage.
The exhibition opens at the Museum of Samoa on 28 August and runs until 24 October. The official opening will be on
September 1 and will be attended by Samoa, New Zealand, France and New Caledonia dignitaries as well as many Sa’anapu
residents. Dr Lamarche says the next stage of the project is to secure more funding so that this conceptual project can
progress to a feasibility stage.