Issues of water resources management and usage in Samoa

Abstract

The paper highlights outstanding water conservation and water delivery needs for Samoa. The Government of Samoa in partnership with the European Union have committed extensive funding into ensuring that the people of Samoa have access to clean and reliable water all in the name of Sustainable Development. There is also the widespread adoption of the Integrated Water Resources Management Framework to aid in the implementation, delivery and management of water resources and water services infrastructure. These efforts while not in vain, have come up against a number of obstacles that existed long before government and donors formalized the partnership to upgrade water services delivery. Obstacles pertaining to land tenure, land-use management and ownership, farming practices near the watershed are some of the existing problems that continue to plague the Ministries responsible for water resources management (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) and water service delivery (Samoa Water Authority). To ease some of the obstacles to water resources conservation efforts, require a holistic bottoms-up approach beginning with the Samoan household unit, the main water users and land holders