An initiative was launched on Tuesday, aiming to strengthen coral reefs and community resilience across Samoa.

Conservation International and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation announced the official launch of Resilient Reefs Pasifika: the Samoa Reef Resilience Hub.

Samoa Reef Resilience Hub is designed to establish adaptive and climate-resilient solutions for coral reef ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them.  The initiative blends Indigenous and scientific knowledge with local leadership for ocean stewardship. 

Conservation International Samoa received funding from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to establish the grant facility hub, the first Resilience Hub to be established as part of the initiative. The Samoa Reef Resilience Hub will serve as a centre for learning, capacity building, and co-designing resilience strategies for communities across the country and the greater Pacific.

Leausalilo Leilani Duffy, Technical Director at Conservation International—Samoa, stated, “Samoa is the first Pacific Island to be selected by GBRF to establish the Samoa Hub facility that will grant awards to eligible government ministries, Non-Governmental Organisations and Community-based Organisations (civil society groups) to implement projects that support the improvement of healthy coral reef ecosystems for Samoa.”

Kalara McGregor, Director of Pacific Partnerships at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, noted: “The Resilience Hub model is one of the core components under a wider Resilient Reefs Pasifika initiative, which aims to provide both immediate support and longer-term scaffolding by connecting and resourcing a pipeline of projects and funding. We look forward to embarking on this partnership with Conservation International Samoa to enhance the resilience of coral reefs and their communities.”

The Samoa Reef Resilience Hub is a collaborative effort between Conservation International and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, with support from a local Steering Committee selected for their technical capacity and wealth of information.

This will ensure there is no duplication of activities and grants are awarded to further enhance or scale-out work in Samoa on the coral reef system to improve biodiversity through healthy reef systems. As such, it focuses on:

• Enhancing ocean stewardship through partnerships and strengthening local governance through relevant government ministries, organisations, and local communities  

• Merging traditional knowledge with modern science for holistic and inclusive approaches to reef management

• Improving coral reef protection services through sustainable practices and management, ensuring solutions are resilient to climate threats  

• Working in partnership with SPREP to support the delivery of the Pacific Coral Reef Action Plan (PACRAP) 2021-2030

The official launch event included the signing of a Terms of Reference between the Chairman of the Reef Resilience Pasifika: Samoa Reef Resilience Hub Steering Committee, Seuseu Joseph Tauati (CEO, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries), and Ana Perez, Director of Resilient Reefs Pasifika from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, reinforcing a shared commitment to reef health in Samoa.

The Resilient Reefs Pasifika initiative offers a new opportunity for Samoa to further build on its ocean management, ensuring Samoa is a step closer to achieving its goals under the 30 by 30 agenda as outlined in the Samoa Ocean Strategy 2020-2030. Through collaborative partnership and local empowerment, Samoa’s reefs can be safeguarded for many years to come.