How automation is helping Samoa cope with climate change

As climate change intensifies, heavy rainfall is becoming more frequent in Samoa, even during the dry season. This is causing rivers to swell and flood lowland areas like the Apia township’s central business district, which is where the majority of the Samoa Water Authority’s pressure sewer lines and pump stations are located. 

Following flooding in downtown Apia in January this year (see photo), National Science Programme Officer Walter Faamatuainu from UNESCO’s Regional Office for the Pacific States travelled across town to meet with staff from the Samoa Water Authority to discuss how best to preserve freshwater supplies during future flooding events in Apia. 

Timothy Betham, Manager of the Wastewater Division at the Samoa Water Authority, explained how, when poorly treated sewage mixed with floodwaters, this accelerated the spread of waterborne illnesses like typhoid, which were projected to become more common as temperatures rose. 

This makes it crucial to ensure that wastewater does not mix with freshwater supplies during flooding events.

Poor wastewater management can exacerbate the impact of climate change in other ways. For instance, it can add to the burden of rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion, which are already compromising freshwater supplies in low-lying coastal areas like the Apia township. 

Moreover, decomposing organic waste in stagnant water releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that further fuels global warming.