Waste Management and Pollution Control
A temporary boom has been placed across the mouth of Apia's Vaisigano River. This boom, together three others to be installed at Apia's major rivers, will help prevent litter and debris from entering Apia harbour and the marina during the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (UNSIDS) and beyond.
The boom is 120m long and has a buoyant top with a net suspended below into the water. River water is able to pass through the netting whilst capturing the rubbish.
SPREP Marine Pollution Advisor, Scott Willson said, "We modified an oil boom into a rubbish boom to stop waste from upstream flowing out to sea."
"This is the first time a rubbish boom has been used in the river, and it will make the waterways cleaner, benefitting the harbour and its appearance for UNSIDS," said the Deputy Port Master of the Samoa Ports Authority, Mr. Ierome Mulumulu.
The initiative is a collaborative effort between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the Samoan Government including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Samoa Ports Authority (SPA), Ministry of Health (MoH) and the local community through the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD).
MNRE, with the support of the local community, will look after the booms to ensure they it is effectively used.
"The boom is part of our mitigation strategy to capture the rubbish that flows from upstream out into the port. We will monitor the booms regularly, and collect the captured rubbish for removal to the Tafaigata Waste Facility," said Ali'imuamua Setoa Apo, Principal Waste Management Officer with the MNRE.
This project calls upon the support of local communities to help take care of the boom and to action good waste practices to reduce the amount of rubbish in the rivers. To ensure a successful project, the MWCSD invited members of the community to support and be part of this activity.
Hinemoa Matagi, from the Women's Committee of the Vaisigano area, said they are striving to educate the villagers about the importance of not dumping rubbish in the river ways. "We will be stressing the importance to everyone in our villages of keeping the rivers and banks clean," she said.
"We are working together with the communities to educate them about not dumping rubbish in the rivers. We will be engaging with the village mayors and women's committees to try and encourage them to have ownership of keeping the river ways clean. The booms are a very effective tool for capturing rubbish, and we'll be using them on all the four rivers flowing into the Apia Harbour. Our meeting with the community and partners will stress the importance of looking after the booms while in place".
The booms will be placed at Vaisigano and Mulivai rivers.
The boom is 120m long and has a buoyant top with a net suspended below into the water. River water is able to pass through the netting whilst capturing the rubbish.
SPREP Marine Pollution Advisor, Scott Willson said, "We modified an oil boom into a rubbish boom to stop waste from upstream flowing out to sea."
"This is the first time a rubbish boom has been used in the river, and it will make the waterways cleaner, benefitting the harbour and its appearance for UNSIDS," said the Deputy Port Master of the Samoa Ports Authority, Mr. Ierome Mulumulu.
The initiative is a collaborative effort between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the Samoan Government including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Samoa Ports Authority (SPA), Ministry of Health (MoH) and the local community through the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD).
MNRE, with the support of the local community, will look after the booms to ensure they it is effectively used.
"The boom is part of our mitigation strategy to capture the rubbish that flows from upstream out into the port. We will monitor the booms regularly, and collect the captured rubbish for removal to the Tafaigata Waste Facility," said Ali'imuamua Setoa Apo, Principal Waste Management Officer with the MNRE.
This project calls upon the support of local communities to help take care of the boom and to action good waste practices to reduce the amount of rubbish in the rivers. To ensure a successful project, the MWCSD invited members of the community to support and be part of this activity.
Hinemoa Matagi, from the Women's Committee of the Vaisigano area, said they are striving to educate the villagers about the importance of not dumping rubbish in the river ways. "We will be stressing the importance to everyone in our villages of keeping the rivers and banks clean," she said.
"We are working together with the communities to educate them about not dumping rubbish in the rivers. We will be engaging with the village mayors and women's committees to try and encourage them to have ownership of keeping the river ways clean. The booms are a very effective tool for capturing rubbish, and we'll be using them on all the four rivers flowing into the Apia Harbour. Our meeting with the community and partners will stress the importance of looking after the booms while in place".
The booms will be placed at Vaisigano and Mulivai rivers.