Empowering Communities: American Samoa's Role in Environmental Awareness at the 2025 Disaster Resilience Summit

The American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA) and many

more departments joined the Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum

Management in educating more than 200 students and their teachers during the

4th Annual Disaster Resilience Summit on Sept. 10–11 at the Methodist Church

Hall in Tafuna. The summit brought together both public and private schools,

primary and secondary schools, government agencies and community leaders to

strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience across the territory.

AS-EPA Education Division Head Tumau Lokeni and staff, Linda Laulu

engaged students with basic discussions about the agency’s mission to protect

the environment and ensure a safe and healthy community. Presentations

highlighted the importance of clean air, unpolluted land and safe drinking

water, while also outlining the roles and responsibilities the agency carries in

enforcing environmental regulations. Students were reminded of practical steps

they can take, such as reporting harmful activities that damage the land or

pollute local resources.

To encourage participation, each school group received posters to write short

messages of advice and encouragement to the community on ways to keep the

environment clean and protected. These posters served as public awareness tools

and a visible pledge from the students, reminding everyone of the importance of

caring for American Samoa’s natural resources. Messages such as, Keeping American Samoa clean, No Littering, Save our Planet, Love the Earth among other written by students.

Then, Agency representatives said the effort was not only to educate but also to

raise awareness among the next generation about how environmental protection

connects to disaster resilience. By understanding how pollution and

mismanagement of resources affects the community, students were encouraged to

take an active role in keeping their island safe, sustainable and prepared for the

future.