Local communities in Samoa will be able to access a AU$2 million grant from Australia for building climate resilience projects.

This significant assistance was sealed in an agreement signed by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, Australian High Commissioner Will Robinson, and the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative to Samoa Aliona Niculita.

This partnership will support Samoan communities to deliver locally led climate resilience projects through the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP), demonstrating a shared commitment to locally led adaptation efforts. 

The announcement of Australia’s assistance was part of the official welcoming ceremony for a group of Traditional Ecological Knowledge experts from Australia, New Zealand and Tonga, along with Australia’s Ambassador for First Nations People, Justin Mohamed. They are in Samoa for a two-day cultural and environmental knowledge exchange.

The experts are sharing First Nations Australian, Maori and Pacific cultural approaches to climate resilience with local Samoan counterparts and visiting key conservation sites, including Taumeasina marine reserve, the local mangrove ecosystem and the Vailima Botanical Gardens.

They will also meet local artisans at Tiapapata Art Centre, engage with Samoan youth leaders, and hold discussions with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) on research and regional priorities.

Toeolesulusulu reflected about the importance of sharing traditional knowledge during the event.

“Our Traditional Ecological Knowledge is a treasure that must be preserved and passed down to our children, and to generations yet unborn. It connects our past to the present—and guides us into the future,” he said.

Mr Robinson said Australia was proud to stand alongside Samoa and the region to advance traditional knowledge and environmental stewardship.

“As we bid to host COP31 in 2026, in partnership with the Pacific, this visit is a powerful reminder of our region’s unique ties and shared values,” he said.

“This knowledge exchange is also an opportunity to elevate Pacific voices and bring global attention to the climate impacts already being felt across our island nations.”

Samoa marks the final stop on a 10-day sub-regional traditional Ecological Knowledge and Climate Resilience Tour, which also included engagements in Tonga and New Zealand. 

Participating as one of the experts on this important tour from Samoa is Laulu Fialelei Enoka, bringing over 20 years of experience from Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. 

The Traditional Ecological Knowledge Roadshow is an initiative supported by the Australian Government. It aims to facilitate, listen to, and learn from conversations from First Nations Australians and the Pacific on approaches to climate change.