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SPREP is a key organization in addressing environmental issues in the Pacific region. ​​American Samoa has been a member of SPREP for more than 30 years under the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency. The AS-EPA is the current focal point for the island territory on all matters pertaining to SPREP. In such representation, AS-EPA ensures that, given the advanced capacity of the secretariat in respect to the vast resources it provides for its members and the region, local government and non-profit organizations harness such expertise to improve the quality of life in the territory. 

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The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) originated in the late 1970s as a collaborative initiative of SPC, SPEC, ESCAP, and UNEP, initially operating within UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme. It gained momentum following the 1982 Conference on the Human Environment in the South Pacific. It became an independent intergovernmental organization with its relocation to Samoa and the signing of the agreement, establishing SPREP in 1993. 

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SPREP is the leading intergovernmental organization in the Pacific for environmental protection and sustainable development, functioning under the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP). Its mission is to promote cooperation and provide assistance for environmental protection and sustainable development to benefit current and future generations.

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SPREP’s vision is: *The Pacific environment - harmoniously sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage with our cultures.* It also serves as the Secretariat for three regional conventions: the Noumea Convention, the Waigani Convention, and the Apia Convention.

SPREP Provides Regional Goals to Achieve Resilience and Sustainable Pacific Communities:

  • Across all SPREP Strategic Plan 2017 - 2026 Regional Goals​

  1. Provide technical assistance, where requested, in areas relevant to SPREP.

  2. Explore opportunities to co-develop and co-implement regional projects and initiatives.

  3. Share relevant reports, policies, toolkits, and lessons learned from projects.

  4. Explore and facilitate engagement and knowledge sharing in the relevant regional meetings and capacity-building initiatives.

  5. Develop campaigns and advocacy tools to support the environmental and climate change resilience priorities of American Samoa.​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Regional Goal 1 - Pacific people benefit from strengthened resilience to climate change​​:

  1. Support the Governor's Resilience Office (GRO) and the Resilience Commission through: 

    • ​Institutional strengthening,​ 

    • A dedicated secondment to American Samoa to further elaborate and confirm the scheduled interventions from the Secretariat in order to support the GRO and the Resilience Commission, 

    • Providing access to Pacific experience and technical expertise in climate change resilience, 

    • Supporting the development of a dashboard reporting system and 

    • Supporting and participating in the Disaster Resilience Summit of Amerika Samoa and any other climate-related meetings relevant to SPREP.

  2. Engage with and benefit from services and opportunities provided by the Pacific Change Climate Centre (PCCC): 

    • Participate in capacity development and training opportunities,​ 

    • Share and collaborate on applied research and innovation for climate change resilience with PCCC stakeholders and 

    • Explore the development of a dedicated capacity-building initiative with the Government of American Samoa and relevant stakeholders.

  3. Collaborate through the Pacific Met Desk, appropriate to American Samoa's government structures and requirements, with a potential focus on Traditional Knowledge within the context of early warning systems, adaptation measures, and loss and damage assessments.

  4. Recognizing the importance of information - share relevant reports, policies, and adaptation toolkits.

  5. Identify opportunities to replicate and scale up solutions and interventions from best practices and lessons learned.

  6. Participate in the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable (PCCR).

  7. Provide support to develop and strengthen climate change rationale in grant proposals.

  8. Support access to and engagement with the Tomai Pacifique Roster of Experts.

Regional Goal 2 - Pacific people benefit from healthy and resilient island and ocean ecosystems:

  1. Collaborate, learn, and share the experience of American Samoa with the development of their legislation that designates coral reefs as critical infrastructure for climate change resilience.​

  2. Continue engagement with the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Services (PRISMSS) and Pacific Invasives Learning Network (PILN).

  3. Participate in the Nature Conservation and Protected Areas Conference.

  4. Engage with opportunities arising from the Pacific Island Regional Marine Species Programme 2022-2026, Seabird Action Plan, and Coral Reef Action Plan.

Regional Goal 3 - Pacific people benefit from improved waste management and pollution control​:

  1. Share SPREP's waste management knowledge and learn from the experiences of other Pacific islands, in particular:​

    • Waste reduction legislation (e.g., single-use plastics),​

    • Landfill design and management, and

    • Training in medical waste disposal and other waste management areas.

  2. Provide access to waste recycling information and technical assistance.

  3. Participate in the Clean Pacific Roundtable.

  4. Provide communications assistance to support the new Styrofoam ban (e.g., raising awareness of the new regulatory requirements and enabling behavioral change.

  5. Share learnings from the development of waste-to-energy systems.

Regional Goal 4 - Pacific people and their environment benefit from the commitment to and best practice of environmental governance​:

  1. Support Geographic Information Systems (GIS) collaboration in areas of mutual interest.​

  2. Explore opportunities for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for higher-level planning and analysis to guide future developments.

  3. Provide assistance with the management of the American Samoa national environmental data portal.

  4. Explore the development of the State of Environment Reporting to monitor climate change, biodiversity, waste management and pollution, and environmental governance trends in American Samoa.

For more information on SPREP, visit www.sprep.org

Contact

Daryn Lauti, SPREP Coordinator

daryn.lauti@epa.as.gov

(684) 633-2304

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