The project is about conserving and protecting one of the priority watersheds of South Upolu, its river system, waterfalls and rainforests for the benefit of the environment and future generations of our local people. The main stakeholders will be the Falease?ela-tai Environment Protection Society, together with the Pulenu?u and Village Council of Falease?ela (Lefaga District) ? all intending to partner with Lalotalie River Retreat and Polynesian Xplorer Ltd to promote the protection and rehabilitation of The Liua le vai o Sina River and the rainforest/mountain area in order to commit and engage the local community and landowners to a community-based watershed and rainforest sanctuary. This project will support and complement activities related to the MNRE Falease?ela Watershed Management Plan recently finalized by the Water Resources Division.
The project aims at developing pride in the richness of Falease?ela?s biodiversity, from freshwater to rainforest amongst its people, as the natural environment and river system are also the guardians of Falease?ela?s legends and traditions. Through conservation of the watershed, cultural values are maintained and by sharing these values and traditions with others, such as overseas schools groups and tourists, allows the sharing and re-discovery of intrinsic cultural values that could in the current globalized context easily be lost or forgotten. The project will allow more young people to be trained and learned of the local lores and traditions related to our local natural heritage.
The project is designed to fully support the Falease?ela Watershed Management Plan prepared pursuant to Part VIII of the WRM Act 2008 and this plan is in line with the Strategy for the Development of Samoa (2012-2016) and the National Water Resources Management Strategy 2007 -2017. In this context, this project is fully relevant to the UNDP-Samoa Country Programme Strategy 2011-2014.