By
Asenati Taugasolo Semu, Press Secretariat of the Government of Samoa: http://www.savalinews.com
10 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji
- The
redesign of Samoa’s parliamentary complex has been highlighted as one of the
major examples of climate proofing in the region.
Environmental Expert,
Professor John E Hay, cited the work on the Samoa’s parliament which focused on
building at a higher level as an example of how infrastructure can be made
resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“The problem is that the site where the parliament
complex is located on the peninsula is actually an old split that had been
reclaimed,” said Professor Hay.
“It is a very vulnerable
location for the building itself.”
The main threat to the
building says Hay is storm surges.
To make the building
climate resistance, the ground level was raised so that the building is built at
a higher level.
“We don’t only think
about resilience for today’s conditions but also for tomorrow and the next decades.
“We need to increase the
resilience of the structure of the infrastructure. If those services fail, there
are huge consequences on the community and the people,” said the
professor.
“The emphasis is on the
fact that recovery and reconstruction may take two to three years. So while that
take place, Samoa is on hold in terms of developments.
“Think about the
individual that rely on the services from infrastructure that will estimate to
be really fully recovered and replaced in three years.”
Funding for climate
proofing of Samoa’s parliament was provided by the Australia as a gift to Samoa
for its 50th anniversary.
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