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Samoa's weather may seem warm, wet and humid all year, but we do have two seasons. Not exactly summer and winter, because Tutuila is a small dot in a vast tropical ocean, so the ocean moderates our weather year-round. Our seasons are sometimes referred to as tropical wet and dry periods, although you may wonder, when is it ever dry here?

Samoa, like other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) inherits high vulnerability to natural disasters and to external economic and trade developments for which it has no control. These natural disasters include tropical cyclones, prolonged periods of drought, extreme flooding, pests and sudden outbreak of diseases, storm surges and sea level rise. Climate change and sea level rise are serious concerns given that 70% of Samoa’s population and infrastructure are located on low-lying coastal areas. Samoa’s economy largely depends on its natural resources, which must rely on favorable climatic conditions for growth and sustenance.

As a small island developing state, Samoa is expected to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. Projected sea level rise could increase coastal erosion, cause loss of land and property, and dislocate island inhabitants. Changes in tropical cyclone systems may alter risks to life, property and ecosystems. Water supplies and food security could be threatened by changes in climate. As a Least Developed Country, Samoa is considered to have limited ability to cope with the risks associated with changes in climate. This has been recognized by the international community, and in Article 4.4 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which makes explicit commitments to the most vulnerable developing countries:

The restoration of the Islands of Nuutele and Nuulua is a priority of the Government of Samoa and the communities of Aleipata District. Planning is well advanced on a key element of this, the eradication of Pacific Rats (Rattus exulans) by aerial spreading of toxic baits in mid-2006. The Friendly Ground Dove has been identified as a non-target species that may be at risk of taking the baits and one for which the Nuutele and Nuulua populations are significant. Several approaches for safeguarding these have been discussed and this expedition was designed to test the feasibility of the preferred approach, namely the capture and holding of birds in a safe situation on Nuutele during the aerial operation and their release once the baits are non-toxic.

The islands of Nu'utele and Nu'ulua have been identified as highly significant sites for conservation in Samoa. They hold large populations of species currently found nowhere else in the country' including threatened land-birds, seabirds and nesting turtles. They also are the only offshore islands large enough and far enough offshore to be considered as refuges for several of the nation's species threatened on the larger islands by introduced mammalian pests. Such refuges have assumed greater importance as recent severe cyclones (Ofa - 1990, Val - 1991 & Heta - 2004) have reduced bird and bat numbers.

For one of the species potentially at some risk of poisoning under the proposed rat eradication regime, the Friendly Ground Dove, Nuutele and Nuulua hold populations that are nationally significant. The complete loss of these populations would threaten the survival of the taxon in Samoa. Some authors consider the Samoan doves to be a separate race (Gallicolumba s. stairi) from those in Fiji and Tonga (Watling, 2001). Outside Samoa, the race is only found on the small island of Ofu, American Samoa where it is threatened. So the loss of Nu’utele and Nu'ulua birds could threaten the race with extinction.

The primary objective of Samoa's International Waters Project (IWP) is to find ways to improve the management of freshwater resources for the rural communities of Lepa and Apolima Island and to improve their access to minimum standards of drinking water. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Meteorology is the government lead agency responsible for the implementation of the IWP in Samoa through the Division of Environment and Conservation.

American Samoa is a U.S. Territory located approximately 4,200 km south of Hawai'i. It is the southernmost of all U.S. possessions and the only U.S. jurisdiction in the South Pacific. American Samoa comprises seven islands (five volcanic islands and two coral atolls) with a combined land area of approximately 200 km2 . The five volcanic islands, Tutuila, Aunu'u, Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u, are the major inhabited islands of American Samoa. Tutuila, the largest island, is also the center of government and business. Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u, collectively referred to as the Manu'a Islands, are 107 km east of Tutuila. Two outer islands, Rose Atoll and Swains Island, are approximately 259 km and 327 km from Tutuila, respectively. Rose Atoll is uninhabited and is managed as a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), while Swains Island is inhabited by a subsistence population of approximately 10 people.

Since the first Statement of Economic Strategy the government has continued to view the private sector as the engine for development and growth. This SDS again places great emphasis on the importance of developing the private sector. The ultimate goal for stimulating private sector investment is to create employment opportunities in addition to providing goods and services and generating a solid source of government revenue. Promoting private sector investment therefore is a key prerequisite for achieving the national vision of a better quality of life.