This chapter discusses advances in climate change impact, adaptation, and vulnerability assessment methods, emphasizing the growing use of risk management frameworks, stakeholder involvement, and diverse scenario approaches. These developments aim to provide policy-relevant information for effective decision-making in the face of climate change, recognizing the importance of considering non-climate factors and regional-scale scenarios.
This chapter explores the complex interactions within the climate system, emphasizing the significance of understanding climate's physical and social impacts at various scales. It underscores the importance of assessing vulnerability to climate conditions, focusing on sensitivity, exposure, and resilience, especially in Pacific Island communities facing climate-related challenges.
This report, part of the Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA), discusses climate change indicators and their impacts on key sectors in American Samoa. PIRCA, a collaborative effort involving various stakeholders, aims to inform and prioritize actions in response to climate change in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands and the Hawaiian archipelago.
This project focuses on assessing American Samoa's vulnerability to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change. It engaged with the community through an online survey, interviews, and a preparedness workshop in Pago Pago. The goal is to help residents and professionals in American Samoa prepare for future hazard events and climate change impacts, providing information, stories, and guidance on disaster and climate change preparedness
Following the 2009 Samoa-Tonga earthquake, the Samoan islands, including Savai'i, Upolu, and Tutuila, have experienced accelerated sea-level rise, driven by subsidence and gravity changes, with American Samoa witnessing a 5 times faster rate than the global average. A viscoelastic model predicts a continued sea-level rise of 30-40 cm, intensifying coastal flooding.
The absence of historical sea-level data for the Pacific over the past 1,000 years hinders our understanding of late Neogene sea-level changes. Data from tectonically stable sites in various Pacific locations suggest that sea level was close to its present level around 1,000 years ago, rose to approximately 0.9 meters above present levels around 700 years ago during the Little Climatic Optimum, then fell during the Little Ice Age before gradually rising again over the past 200 years. Tags: Pacific, sea-level change, historical data, Little Climatic Optimum, Little Ice Age.
Climate services, which provide actionable information about climate impacts, are crucial for Pacific Islands' policy, planning, and decision-making. NOAA, in collaboration with regional partners, has undertaken projects to enhance climate services through capacity building, engagement with users, and tailored information delivery, resulting in better-informed decisions and increased regional coordination.
The U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) are meteorologically characterized by tropical latitudes, consistently warm temperatures, high humidity, and frequent extreme weather events influenced by factors like the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and tropical cyclones. Climate change effects, including rising sea levels and temperature, are impacting these islands, potentially leading to more severe droughts and intense precipitation events, particularly affecting freshwater resources and local ecosystems.
American Samoa boasts rich coral reefs fringing its islands, with coral reef protection integrated into a national system, including management by the National Park of American Samoa and the National Marine Sanctuary Program. The division between American Samoa and independent Samoa is relatively recent, with intertwined pre-Western histories and cultural connections that endure today among all Samoan Islands.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed regression equations for estimating flood-peak discharges, essential for designing infrastructure and managing flood plains. This Fact Sheet focuses on the application of the updated National Flood-Frequency (NFF) Program to rural areas on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa, while noting that new equations have been developed for various regions across the United States.
Oregon State University's PRISM Group conducted a project to create updated climate maps for various Pacific island regions, including the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, CNMI, Palau, American Samoa, and the Federated States of Micronesia. These maps, produced at high resolution, encompassed temperature and precipitation data for the period of 1971-2000, aiding in climate analysis and resource management for these areas.
Climate change disproportionately affects developing countries due to its impacts on agriculture, water supplies, and natural disasters, jeopardizing progress in poverty reduction and threatening the well-being of billions. The World Bank Group is actively aiding these nations by addressing climate challenges through tailored approaches, encompassing data on climate systems, resilience, emissions, and various sectors like health and infrastructure.
This dataset comprises water temperature data collected through subsurface temperature recorders (STRs) for monitoring seawater temperature variability at permanent coral reef sites in American Samoa. Deployed as part of the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP), these high-accuracy temperature loggers, manufactured by SeaBird Electronics (SBE), operate at depths of 0 to 30 meters along depth transects at Ocean and Climate Change monitoring survey sites for 3 years. Recovered STRs are replaced with new deployments in the same location.
Sea level anomalies in the tropical Pacific, influenced by events like El Niño and La Niña, pose risks to islands due to fluctuations in mean sea level. Advanced climate models and a multimodel ensemble approach offer improved forecasting, aiding Pacific island communities in mitigating the impacts of sea level extremes.
The ability of corals to adapt to climate change relies on the existing genetic variation for climate-related resistance. By genotyping 15,399 single nucleotide polymorphisms in Acropora hyacinthus corals within a naturally variable temperature environment, 114 highly divergent SNPs were identified as potential candidates for environmental selection, indicating the presence of alleles preadapted to high temperatures in the population.
Ground-water and rainfall data from Tutuila and Aunuu in American Samoa, spanning October 1987 to September 1997, reveal trends in pumpage, chloride concentrations, and water levels. Noteworthy findings include varied pumpage rates and chloride concentrations, with Aua experiencing record-high chloride levels, while water levels in certain areas remained consistent or declined during the 12-month period ending September 1997.
This tool provides rain data in American Samoa from 1945-2024. The desired year and month can be selected.
This study of the baseline water quality in American Samoa covered the effects of wet and dry seasons and a variety of tide and weather conditions on water quality and exchange characteristics of several water classifications. Current measurements in the Tafuna area show a reversing tide related longshore current with net transport towards to the southwest.
The preservation of our environment is a vital and growing concern in the United States. This report is to assist in the implementation of the regulation of these areas, the U.S. Army Corps commissioned a survey and preparation of a report on the wetlands of American Samoa.
This report details a wide variety of beach aspects in American Samoa. That includes flood control, beach erosion, and environmental protection.