Western Samoa - national environmental management strategy

Abstract

Recent times have witnessed increasing threats to Pacific environments, coupled with an increasing awareness of the need for action. National Environmental Management Strategies (NEMS) are a measure of this awareness and a positive response to these threats. NEMS, being developed in a number of Pacific countries, outline the major environmental issues faced by each country and identify the steps required to address them. There has been a strong emphasis on the identification of clear, fully costed programmes in each of these steps. These NEMS have been developed in each country through a process of extensive in-country consultation and gathering of relevant background information. The end result is a document which "belongs"to the government and people of each country. The effective implementation of NEMS will be essential for sustainable development of the region and will involve all relevant organisations. This video, which depicts environmental issues specific to the country concerned, was produced as part of the NEMS awareness raising process.