10/14/2026
Hawaiʻi’s Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and Samoa Launch Resilience-Building Initiative
As El Niño-driven drought and shifting weather patterns increase risks to Pacific Island communities from cyclones, fires, flooding, and other hazards, Hawaiʻi and Samoa are joining forces on a National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment (NDPBA) to exchange knowledge and strengthen disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and resilience in Samoa.
As forecasters warn that El Niño could reach historic strength this year, the Government of Samoa and the University of Hawaiʻi’s Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) launched a yearlong assessment on October 14, 2026, to evaluate the island nation’s disaster risk down to the district level. Led by Samoa’s Disaster Management Office (DMO) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), with support from the U.S. Embassy in Apia, the NDPBA kickoff drew more than 60 participants from across sectors.
“The National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment provides an opportunity to bring together national data, technical assessments, institutional knowledge, and stakeholder perspectives to develop a clearer picture of our country’s disaster risk and preparedness,” said Afioga Suʻemalo Talie Foliga, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Samoa’s MNRE. “I would like to acknowledge and thank the United States through its embassy here in Samoa, as well as the team from the Pacific Disaster Center for their immense support and continued partnership.”
In his opening remarks, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Samoa Matthew Younger said, “Today is a monumental step forward in our journey together. We are breaking new ground with this assessment. Resilience is not built overnight, nor is it built by the government alone. It requires data, technology, community-level awareness, and above all, unwavering partnership, which we are here to offer today and to celebrate by launching the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment. Today, we are equipping Samoa’s villages, disaster managers, and leaders with the precision tools needed to anticipate threats, protect families, and safeguard Samoa’s sustainable future.”
PDC’s findings from the assessment will feed directly into DisasterAWARE, the early warning and decision-support platform used by decision-makers across the Pacific to plan, prepare for, and respond to disasters. The approach enables agencies to make immediate use of assessment data during this El Niño season rather than waiting for a final report.
Over the next year, the program will produce district-level risk profiles, an analysis of Samoa’s disaster management capabilities, and a five-year plan of action.
Disaster Management Office - Samoa
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa
US Embassy Apia, Samoa
University of Hawai‘i News
Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance
