Work starts on flood management project

09 July 2018, 12:00AM

(PR) - Work has started on a $168 million flood management system in Apia financed by the Green Climate Fund (G.F.C.) and the Government of Samoa.

Participants representing the various project proponents met recently in a two-day workshop to formulate a draft operation manual for the Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment project.

Under the project’s total budget, $148 million will come from the G.F.C. with the Government of Samoa providing another $20 million. The project will have three major components:

(1) assessment and mechanisms to ensure an integrated approach is in place to reduce vulnerability to flood-related risks;

(2) Infrastructure next to the Vaisigano River are flood-proof to increase resilience to excess water and;

(3) the drainage in downstream areas are upgraded to enable increased regulation of water flows.

Workshop participants recently reviewed and discussed the draft operational manual, which will be used as a guide to govern the operation of the project over its six-year duration.

The discussions focused on project activities, the project’s implementation phase and identified gaps and actions that would need to be taken. 

The ultimate aim of the project is to reduce the impact of recurring floods, strengthen the adaptive capacity of the affected communities and reduce exposure to risks of climate change.

09 July 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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