We provide applied science and environmental consultancy services to support international development activities, with a particular focus on the Pacific and Asian regions.
The coastal Samoan village of Sa'anapu has been ravaged by cyclones and tsunamis in recent years.
Now plans are being developed to improve the community's resilience to natural disasters, including moving living areas away from the coast and developing a multi-purpose emergency shelter within existing cultural and environmental values.
NIWA is working closely with village elders, Bonnifait+Giesen Architects and the Samoan government on this unique project which combines science, architecture and anthropology.
Muliagatele Filomena Nelson from Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment discusses integrating traditional knowledge when adapting to climate change in Samoa.
