Second National Communication

Anne Rasmussen National Climate Change Summit 2009

SNC Project is funded by the Global Environment Facility, UNDP as the Implementing Agency

MNRE Executing Agency

Samoa ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994

Completed the First National Communication 1999

SNC Project aims to fulfil Samoa’s obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change2006- 2008/09

Also to update on the current and future CC issues

SNC report covers:

National CircumstancesGHG InventoryClimate Change Vulnerability and

Adaptation AssessmentMitigation Actions taken by SamoaOther relevant information

Significant Results

Climate Risk Profile

Provides an analysis of local climate data and global climate models

Summarizes the climate risk for Samoa (current and future)

Local, scientific evidence of climate change

Local Climate Change

Maximum temperatures, by year, for Apia ( 2007)

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increasedvariability

Samoa’s Climate is Already Changing

Return Periods (yrs) – Daily Rainfall, Apia

Daily Rainfall of at Least

(mm)1960-1979 1980 - 2006

200 11.6 3.0

250 60 5.5

300 318 10

350 1700 21

Return Period: The average number of years between a given extreme event

Adaptation

Provided advanced vulnerability and adaptation training to key sectors

Each sector prepared V&A report Water Health Agriculture Infrastructure Biodiversity Fisheries

Methodology – V&A

The assessment followed IPCC, UNFCCC and Pacific community based V&A methodologies adapted for Samoa,

which built on the considerable body of existing information (e.g. NAPA,INC and climate risk profile).

Samoa’s climate risk profile (CRP) was the core scientific tool from which the V&A was based.

The assessment used a risk based approach grounded on up-to-date, factual and often quantitative information.

CASE STUDY: FISHERIESExposure to Climate Change:

Samoa's Albacore Catch v Sea Surface Temperature (2001-2006)

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AlbacoreCPUE

Sea SurfaceTemperature

GHG Inventory

Detailed, locally relevant methodologies for estimating emissions prepared based on the IPCCC guideline 2006

Inventory complete for Samoa 2000 – 2007

Top 6 sources of GHG emissions

Table B: Top six sources of GHG emissions in Samoa (2007).Rank

SourceEmissions(Gg CO2-e)

% of total emissions

1 Road Transport 95.11 27%

2 Livestock Farming 88.36 25%

4N2O from Agricultural

Soils47.01 13%

3 Electricity Generation 44.21 13%

5Other Energy Consumption

34.14 10%

6 Wastewater 25.44 7%

TOTAL 335.15 95%

Key Recommendations

Investigate options for improving the detail of activity data used for the GHG inventory. This will allow for more accurate estimates to be made and reduce the uncertainty associated with the inventory

Update land cover data for Samoa to allow more accurate estimates of CO2 emissions and removals from forests and other land use categories.

Mitigation

Samoa is committed to reducing GHG emissions as a way of mitigating the threat of climate change. When deciding on where to focus mitigation efforts, the following three questions should be asked: What are the biggest sources of GHG emissions

in Samoa? Which sectors have the most potential for GHG

reductions? How can mitigation efforts contribute to national

development?

If the anecdotal evidence is correct and improved satellite imagery shows a net downward trend in Samoa’s forest cover, there may be opportunities for Samoa to participate in international initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). However, at the time of writing, the exact rules for REDD have yet to be developed.

Other Information

TNA Awareness

Key Recommendation: Due to the cross-sectoral nature of

climate change and recognizing the constraints on technical, institutional and community capacity to deal with the issue, collaboration and partnership between all the stakeholders in support of national efforts is critical.

Thank you to the hard work by all the task team & NCCCT

- guidance from CEO, ACEOs (MNRE) - V&A working Group, GHG working group - Mitigation working group,TNA working group

- NUS, USP,UNDP, SPREP,FAO, Met office GOD BLESS & FAAFETAI