The launch of Samoa’s Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme marks a significant step in strengthening community-based disaster preparedness in one of the world’s most hazard-exposed regions. Officially launched in Apia during National Environment Week 2026, the initiative brings together the Government of Samoa, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), the United States Government, in a shared effort to protect lives and build resilience in coastal communities.
The official launch of Samoa’s Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme was honoured by the presence of the Honourable Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa, Hon. Laʻaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt.
Today is an important step forward in protecting our people and strengthening disaster preparedness across our communities. Let this launch inspire us to deepen our partnerships, strengthen our communities, and build a resilient Samoa and a resilient Pacific.
Hon. Ale Vena Ale, Samoa’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Developed under UNESCO-IOC, the Tsunami Ready programme is a voluntary, performance-based framework that helps communities strengthen readiness through coordinated action among warning agencies, government authorities, scientists, community leaders, and the public. In Samoa, the programme will support thirty-seven villages working toward recognition, while Savaia Village will renew its status as a recognized Tsunami Ready community.
Beyond community recognition, the initiative is also helping strengthen national preparedness systems. It includes technical training for Samoa’s Meteorology Office and Disaster Management Office, along with support for hazard assessment, preparedness planning, public education, drills, signage, and operational coordination. Together, these investments reinforce end-to-end early warning systems that connect science, institutions, and communities.
For Samoa, this work carries particular significance. The legacy of the 2009 tsunami remains a powerful reminder of the importance of trusted warnings, evacuation planning, and public awareness. Samoa’s leadership in community-based preparedness was already demonstrated in 2017, when Savaia became the first community in the Pacific to receive Tsunami Ready recognition. The current programme builds on that foundation and renews national momentum toward safer, more resilient coastal communities.
The launch also reflects wider regional and global priorities. UNESCO-IOC’s Tsunami Ready programme contributes to the Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme and to the ambition of ensuring that 100 per cent of at-risk coastal communities are prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030. It also aligns with broader efforts to advance people-centred, multi-hazard early warning systems that can save lives when warnings are issued with little or no notice.
Samoa is giving practical expression to a wider Pacific vision in which resilience is built community by community, and early warning only saves lives when it reaches people in time, in ways people understand and through systems they trust. The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme reflects UNESCO’s commitment to supporting Member States through science, cooperation and community-centred action that helps protect lives and strengthen preparedness.
Sardar Umar Alam, Director of the UNESCO Office for the Pacific States
Supported by the Government of the United States, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC), UNESCO-IOC, Samoa Meteorological Service and DMO Samoa, the Samoa Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme demonstrates how international cooperation can translate into practical preparedness at community level.
The United States is proud to partner with Samoa in strengthening community preparedness and resilience. We are working together to ensure that communities have the tools, knowledge, and systems they need to respond quickly and save lives.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/samoa-advances-coastal-resilience-launch-unesco-ioc-tsunami-ready-recognition-programme?hub=701
