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Flooding imposes significant costs on households and businesses located in the lower Vaisigano catchment area. SOPAC, under the European Development Fund (EDF) project Reducing Vulnerability of Pacific ACP States, has worked with the Government of Samoa to develop the Samoa Flood Management and Action Plan, which identifies actions for government agencies, the private sector, NGOs and communities responsible for flood and floodplain management that can assist in reducing flood risks in Samoa, particularly in the lower Vaisigano catchment area located in Apia, which is subject to frequent flooding.

These goals are a big challenge to small Pacific Islands Countries with their small land masses, remote locations and small but rapidly growing populations making them vulnerable. Vanuatu shares these and other challenges to sustainable development. In Vanuatu real GDP per capita is still lower than in the 1980s, infrastructure is poorly developed, the population is rapidly growing at 2.6% per year, water resources are declining and in many places contaminated, and household water supplies are inadequate or absent. The country's capital and human resources are stretched and a better forward is needed.

The economic and social wellbeing of Pacific Island Countries are dependent upon the quality and quantity of their freshwater. Constrained by their relative small size, natural vulnerability, and limited human and financial resource base, Pacific Small Island Developing States face specific challenges to effectively manage their water resources.

The Solomon Islands is characterised by scattered islands that vary considerably in size, physical and hydrologic characteristics. The types of islands range from high volcanic to tiny low coral atolls. The higher islands have river systems whilst the low coral atolls have no natural surface water systems and are completely dependent upon rainwater catchments and groundwater.

The structure of this diagnostic report follows the outline of the Pacific Regional Action Plan on sustainable Water Management (Pacific RAP) arranged over six thematic areas of water resources management, island vulnerability, awareness, technology, institutional arrangements and financing, preceded by a general chapter on relevant background information on Tonga.

Small Pacific Island countries (PIC) rely heavily on the freshwater resources. However, due to the small land masses of many PICs, most of the freshwater sources are under pressure from overuse and/or pollution leading to deteriorating water quality due to urbanisation, economic development, and population growth. The pollution of freshwater resources also lend a hand to the pollution of marine ecosystems, which many Pacific Islanders rely on heavily for sustenance. Urbanisation and population increases weigh heavily on wastewater disposal, which impact both fresh and marine water resources.