Planning conservation areas in Western Samoa: a case study

This thesis is a case study of a new initiative of environmental conservation currently being planned in Western Samoa. The initiative is based on what are termed "Conservation Area Projects' whose primary goal is to help rural people achieve sustainable development without degrading biological diversity. The research focuses on the first Conservation Area Project proposed for Western Samoa- the Sataoa- Saanapu Conservation Area and in particular the 75 ha Sataoa-Saanapu mangrove forest. This forest is one of Samoa's priority ecosystems requiring protection. Data on conservation area ecology, geography,