Climate change in American Samoa

The American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) notes that the territory "has a fragile ecosystem" which is "directly and immediately impacted by global climate change".

[4] Due to the shoreline concentration of the population, rising sea levels are likely to destroy property and displace residents.

[5] Freshwater aquifers from which the local water supply is drawn are similarly threatened with seawater intrusion due to rising sea levels.

[6] ASEPA similarly notes that "[c]limate change endangers the survival of our coral reefs", which help protect the island from hurricanes and support local fishing.

[1] In 2017, the NPS predicted a possible increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever in tropical regions, including American Samoa, due to global warming, which "appears to be triggering a number of disease epidemics worldwide, involving a diversity of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites) and a wide range of hosts", according to the NPS.