“It’s forecasted that there will be drought in 2015 and given the adverse economic and social implication of this event, we are working earnestly to ensure that the anticipated negative effects are minimal,” said Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga during his opening remarks at the 7th Pacific Water and Expo Conference, being hosted this year by the American Samoa Power Authority.

Lolo said the theme for this year’s conference — “Water and Energy in the Pacific” — is “most fitting because these two commodities are the lifelines of our island countries.”

“Ironically water is a God given commodity requiring no infrastructural system to produce, and given the frequency with which it rains, it is plentiful.

“It is freely given, and our people should not be burdened financially to acquire it. Nevertheless, people are compelled to pay for the water they consume because of the cost connected with the required infrastructure to capture, purify and distribute the water,” the governor said.

He said the economic viability of the two major economic assets, “our canneries” are also   dependent not only on the sufficient water quantity, but also on the cost at which water is sold. Lolo pointed out that the challenge he has issued to ASPA is not only to substantially reduce the cost of water but also to “maintain water quality to meet national standards.”

The governor said our dependence on fossil fuel will continue to hinder the efforts to expand the economy and obstruct improvements in the people’s quality of lives.

“Again, God has given us the sun, the wind and the ocean deemed to provide free energy for our use. Fortunately, technology is now available for us to harness and convert these God given gifts to usable energy, for American Samoa’s energy costs continue to be the stumbling block frustrating our efforts to grow our economy and reduce the financial burden on our people.”

Lolo said he hopes this conference will come up with innovative approaches to empower the accomplishment of the collective vision to increase the supply of water and energy while reducing costs, thus improving our people’s quality of life.

Pacific Water and Waste Association (PWWA) Chairman, Opetaia Favai, Chief Executive Officer for the Water Authority in Fiji said they, too, have challenges and we have shared and relayed our concerns.

“We need to think outside of the box, and we need to look at ways to sustain water,” he said.

ASPA Board Chairman, Fonoti Perelini said the challenges are there and he hopes that for the next four days they will be able to come up with solutions.

The Expo Conference continues today at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium in Utulei.