Samoa: Enhancing capacity for strengthening the implementation of building codes and for improving multi-hazard systems, in preparation for a Cat-DDO

Context and objectives

Samoa is the first Pacific Island country to prepare a Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Operation with Catastrophe-Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat-DDO). A Cat-DDO is a World-Bank contingent credit line that provides immediate liquidity to countries in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

This ACP-EU NDRR Program supported the Government of Samoa in strengthening its institutional policy framework for disaster and climate-related risk management, and to meet the requirements for accessing a Cat-DDO.

Main activities and results

Project activities were implemented under the following components: 

Component 1: Supporting the development of practical solutions, guidelines and awareness of the revised building codes. The Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (MWTI) led in 2017 a revision and update of the national building code, with the aim of decreasing the risks cyclones and floods pose to buildings. Activities under this component included:

• Support to the Government of Samoa to apply its revised national building codes and standards;
• Providing training to MWTI staff to assess building applications and to check their compliance with the revised standards and codes;
• Support to the Government of Samoa in reaching out to the building industry on the content and implementation.

Component 2: Supporting the development of a strategy to improve the effectiveness of a multi-hazard early warning system. The activities under this component included: 

• Support to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to draft a policy and strategy to integrate hazard-information including meteorological, hydrological, and seismic information;
• Assess the adequacy of the standard operating procedures of the existing early warning system, and propose possible changes.

The project supported the development of guidelines to enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure staff to assess building structures and to check their compliance with the revised standards and codes. The project also supported the government of Samoa in reaching out to the building industry on the content and implications of the revised building code, and to communities on climate and disaster-related risk.

The project also supported the government of Samoa develop policies and strategies for improving the effectiveness of multi-hazard EWS. As part of this assistance, the adequacy of the standard operating procedures for the early warning system was assessed, and proposed changes are helping the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment draft a policy and strategy to integrate different types of information – including meteorological, hydrological, and seismic information.

Partnerships and coordination

This project was implemented in close collaboration with the Government of Samoa, in particular the Ministry of Works, Transport, and Industry, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.