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Samoa's National Environmental Capacity Strategy (NECS) is drawn on the assessment and analysis of priority thematic and cross-cutting capacity needs. These needs have identified priority actions for capacity development and opportunities to promote synergies across the 3 Conventions which are highlighted as project profiles in the NECS. Strategies to implement these project profiles including means of monitoring and evaluation of outcomes are also highlighted in the NECS.

The community based conservation (CBC)paradigm predicts that sustainable biodiversity can only be achieved if local people perceive benefits from conservation. Through interviews, the situation in Samoa portrays that the CBC of mangroves was received with apprehension because the mangrove biodiversity was more significant than sustaining the livelihood of the local communities. In contrast, Iriomote Island residents were able to achieve maximum socio-economic benefits but to the extent that they were over commercializing the mangrove ecosystem. More research is imperative to find out how biodiversity conservation can be married with sustainable development objectives to sustain the local communities' livelihood.

On the 21st of October, 1972, hurricane "Bebe" devas- tated a large part of Funafuti atoll, Ellice Islands. Among the most spectacular geomorphological alterations caused by the hurricane was a storm beach 19 km long, 4 m high and 37 m wide. The amount of coral debris washed up from the offshore coral reefs onto the reef flat was estimated at 2.8 x 10 tons of material (Baines, Beveridge and Maragos, 1974). The oceanside reef communities of the SE and E rim of the atoll had been totally destroyed, and those of the inner reefs of the lagoon side had been heavily damaged. Eight months after the storm a quantitative analysis of the resettlement and recruitment of coral species on 7 reef sections was carried out: the destruction of the biophysiographic zones could be described as increasing from the northern border and also to the W rim of the atoll. Near the centre at Fongafale the lagoon reef flat was covered by thick carpets of the brown alga Dictyota bartaysii, possibly brought about by eutrophication effects. The resettlement of the reef flat by corals began with the recolonization of branching corals as well as regeneration of the very few surviving massive corals: about 80% of the number of new colonies belong to Acropora (mainly A. humilis and A. hyaclnthus), and about 20% to Pocillopora eydouxi, Porltes lutea (?) and some Faviidae. The percentage of the area settled by the massive coral species is, however, greater than that settled by the branching species. Nevertheless, in the long-term, branching corals are expected to have a decisive influence on the future structural and biophysiographic zonation of the reef edge and reef flat, due to their more numerous young colonies, which are evenly scattered over the reef area, and due to their rapid growth rate. Consequently, an Acropora humilis - hyacinthus-community or an Acropora - Pocillopora eydouxi-assemblage can be predicted as the future biophysiographic zone.

Stranding of a cetacean (whales & dolphins) refers to an animal that has run aground or left in a helpless position on shore. Stranding can include: Live animal(s) that have run aground and are unable to return unassisted to and in the water or to its natural habitat Dead animal(s) that have been washed up on the beach, shore or is still floating in the water.

This report records and presents an account of the Pilot Water Education Project for Samoa executed from the October 2003 to January 2004. Freshwater is not only a resource for human use but also provides important habitats for many native plant and animal species. Hence, water cannot be isolated but must be seen as one element in a broader ecosystem.