Samoa Tsunami rapid environmental impact assessment report: draft October 14th 2009

Abstract

A rapid assessment of the environmental impacts of the 29 September tsunami was conducted by a multi-agency team from 3 to 14 October, 2009. Fourteen “green” and 10 “brown” environmental variables were selected and measured based on the experience of the survey team and similar reports from elsewhere. During a tour of the affected area on Upolu by car and on foot those “assessable” variables were scored “high” (over two thirds affected), “medium” (over one third, less than two thirds affected), “low” (less than a third affected) or zero (unaffected). Manono and Savaii were surveyed by air with the former showing evidence of some damage and the later apparently none or very little. The most affected areas in Upolu were villages in the Aleipata, Lepa and Falealili districts with the most obvious indicators of the tsunami’s impact being solid waste (sometimes resulting from the complete destruction of a village), erosion of the beach and fore-shore and the (expected) impact on marine resources. Other environmental variables assessed also showed similar patterns. Impacts on a wharf/dry dock facility are also described (including lost fuel drums) as are the possible environmental implications of new settlements created by displaced persons (mainly revolving around sanitation, drainage and water supply).