Samoa: Working together to strengthen early warnings
Along the coastline of Samoa, a small Pacific island nation, villages sit just a few meters from the ocean. For many families, daily routines such as fishing, farming and commuting depend on weather patterns. But those patterns are shifting. Cyclones are becoming more intense and flooding more frequent.
In a country where more than 70% of the population lives in low-lying coastal areas, the difference between safety and loss often comes down to one thing: early warnings.
Behind every warning is a system that depends on many parts working together. In Samoa, that system is being strengthened through coordinated investments that, while technical in nature, are ultimately about protecting communities and livelihoods.
Data is the foundation
Every early warning depends on an invisible yet essential ingredient: weather and climate observations. Through a USD 5 million investment approved in November 2025, the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) is supporting Samoa to upgrade its weather and climate observation network. This includes improving existing stations, installing a new upper-air observation system, and strengthening the transmission of data for real-time international exchange.
Currently, Samoa faces gaps in the observation network which have affected the availability and reliability of weather and climate data. Several stations are not fully operational or do not consistently transmit data, and the country does not yet have an upper-air observation station.
These observations are essential. Without them, forecasts are less accurate and less reliable—not only in Samoa, but globally.
Working in complementarity
At the same time, the Pacific Resilience, Adaptation and Resilience Programme (PREPARE)—a USD 35 million project supported by the World Bank—is strengthening Samoa’s ability to prepare for and respond to climate and disaster risks, benefiting nearly 80% of the population. The project focuses on improving early warning services, strengthening infrastructure, and supporting risk-informed planning.
These efforts are complemented by initiatives such as the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative, which supports early warning services and capacity, and technical assistance from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).
This is what complementarity and coordination looks like in practice. Each investment plays a different role. Together, they form a functioning early warning system that connects observation, forecasting, communication and response.
Early warning systems are only as strong as their weakest link. If observations are missing, forecasts lose accuracy. If warnings are unclear, people cannot act. If preparedness is limited, even timely warnings may not prevent losses. By addressing these gaps simultaneously, Samoa is strengthening the system as a whole.
The value of acting early
A decade after Tropical Cyclone Evan, many communities in Samoa continue to face the consequences of extreme weather events.
“When it rains in the mountains, the river can rise without warning. We see grey clouds and we know the river might come,” says Asuelu Saifoloi, a resident of Lelata village, speaking to the Pacific News Agency (PINA).
With these investments, weather and climate data will be collected and shared more consistently; forecasts will become more accurate and issued earlier, and warnings will reach communities with clearer guidance. For a fisherman, it can mean knowing when conditions are too dangerous to go to sea. For a farmer, it can mean adjusting planting decisions ahead of heavy rain. For families living along the coast, it can mean receiving a warning early enough to prepare, protect their belongings and stay safe.
In Samoa, this is about more than systems or infrastructure. It is about families, communities, and their connection to the land.
“This is our inheritance. Our ancestors called us to live here. Leaving it behind isn’t just relocation. It’s losing who we are,” adds Saifoloi.
Improving forecasts, strengthening early warning systems, and investing in resilience means helping communities stay safer while preserving what matters most to them: their livelihoods, their identity, and their future.
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