Safer Schools Rapid Diagnostics in Samoa

Safer Schools Rapid Diagnostics in Samoa assessed the vulnerability of the country’s existing school infrastructure to natural hazards, some of which were expected to get worse as a result of climate change and other contributing risk factors.

Activities supported by the World Bank

• Survey of 21 school buildings across seven schools in Samoa using the rapid visual assessment (RVA) methodology, which includes hazard, performance, exposure, and vulnerability assessment, to determine preliminary options for risk mitigation strategies, such as school retrofitting

• Identification of the drivers of risk and the range of natural hazards, as well as climate change impacts that may compromise the repair, retrofitting, and/or operation of existing school infrastructure

• Analysis of existing school facilities and their building types

• Preliminary assessment of the institutional and policy environment and regulatory framework within which school infrastructure has been planned, designed, constructed, operated, maintained, repaired, and retrofitted

Main outputs

• A comprehensive report detailing the main findings of the rapid diagnostic activities, which included stakeholder meetings, school visits, and a review of existing data

• Analysis of gaps in existing hazard data

• Recommendations of opportunities to be further investigated under subsequent engagements for strengthening the way schools are planned, designed, constructed, operated, and maintained

• Data collected using the Roadmap for Safer and Resilient Schools (RSRS) methodology, which can be built on to develop a nationwide safer schools roadmap in subsequent engagements

• Recommendations for entry-level investments to be financed by the World Bank Pacific Resilience Program (PREP)