Japanese technology to minimise the impact of natural disasters and boost resilience to environmental degradation has been deployed at the Fagalii ford and river outlet.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the implementation arm of Japan's official development aid, released a media statement on Monday saying that bio-log filters have been installed at the ford and river outlet and "appear promising".

A team from the Consortium of Nansei Environmental Laboratory Co. Ltd and Wescot West Co. Ltd. together with JICA are working in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) on the project. The technologies that were deployed will boost environmental improvement and enable disaster risk reduction using the bio-log filter. 

The partnership comes under the project “Verification Survey with the Private Sector for Disseminating Japanese Technologies for Environmental Improvement and Disaster Risk Reduction using Bio-log Filter”.

The survey is implemented within the scope of JICA’s public-private partnership program, which aims to demonstrate cutting-edge Japanese technologies tailored to Samoa’s unique challenges. The project's objectives are to verify the effectiveness of the bio-log filter in preventing environmental degradation and reducing risks from natural disasters as well as to formulate a business plan for its adoption in Samoa.

The JICA Project Team and MNRE will closely monitor Fagalii ford and river outlet, which are the key sites utilizing the bio-logs, for their impact on water turbidity reduction and erosion prevention, as well as their effectiveness in preserving vegetation. 

A comparison of alternative products will be explored as well, in terms of performance, price, and maintenance costs. The bio-log filter is a revolutionary product made from coconut fibre, according to the JICA media statement.

"It does a fantastic job of trapping soil particles in turbid water and protecting vegetation by preventing erosion."

A key element of the project is the knowledge exchange between Japan and Samoa, particularly knowledge exchange based on Japan's wealth of experience in environmental preservation and disaster management. 

"This knowledge transfer will empower local authorities and stakeholders in Samoa to effectively utilise the technology."

Pending project results, the Samoa Government will be in a position to make informed decisions on adopting this technology, potentially enhancing Samoa’s resilience to environmental degradation and natural disasters.