• Ocean and Islands Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response
• Community Lifelines Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response
• Community Risk Programme
  • Issues
  • Concerns
  • Response

Ocean and Islands Programme

Issues

• Management of ocean, coastal and land-based resources.
• Sustainability of ocean, coastal and island ecosystems.

Concerns

• Sustainable management of coastal and marine resources
• Need to strengthen national environmental institutions
• Need for coordination among government agencies
• Need to strengthen national policy-making and regulatory bodies
• Lack of technical training in maritime vessels technological skills, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture entrepreneurship
• Need for environmental education and awareness programmes
• Need for data collection on marine resources and dissemination to communities
• Need to create resource alternatives to relieve pressure on inshore fisheries
• Extensive coastal inundation and erosion

Response

• Assessment of coastal erosion problems in Tongatapu and Atata Island.
• Support and advice on legal and policy issues related to maritime boundary delimitation, continental shelf, marine scientific research, offshore mineral policy, exploration and mining legislation, and issues relating to the Law of the Sea.
• Retrieval and storage of physical oceanographic data from foreign researching states and organisations· Development of a GIS for the Neifau area of Vava’u
• New satellite imagery of Hapai and Eua Islands to evaluate the status of the coastline
• Offshore sand dredging and monitoring of the environmental impact on the Queen Salote Wharf in Nuku’alofa
• Tonga is a beneficiary of the SOPAC-JAPAN Cooperative Deep-sea Minerals Programme for preliminary mapping and sampling within its EEZ
• The Certificate of Earth Science and Marine Geology (CESMG) builds the capacity of island member nationals in the areas of applied geoscience
• The Pacific Islands’ Global Ocean Observing System [PI-GOOS] seeks to ensure that relevant applications for ocean observations and resulting products from global, regional and national long-term observing systems are made available to Pacific Island end-users
• The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project provides tide gauge and other data, and related products to the region
• SOPAC also offers assistance in the area of Ocean Governance to their member country regions, including Tonga

Community Lifelines Programme

Issues

• Provision of foundations for healthy, productive and sustainable communities (energy, water and sanitation, and ICT)

Concerns

• Provision of water supplies, drainage, sanitation, and disposal of hazardous and solid waste
• Need technical training in renewable energy technologies
• Need to reduce Tonga’s dependency on imported fuels
• Need widespread accessibility to energy resources
• Need to upgrade and extend transport and communication networks to the outer islands
• Need for self-reliance in energy
• Quality of water degrading
• Need to enhance national capacity in strategic planning and management for integrated water resources management
• Need to promote public awareness and education in water conservation
• Need to develop capacity for sewage treatment
• Poor rainwater-harvesting techniques
• Need affordable technology, research and training in desalinisation options

Response

• School energy education programme
• Introduction of energy education in to Tongan school curriculum
• Assistance provided to the Energy Planning Unit for drafting of Climate Change Enabling Proposal
• Review of Tonga’s water supply master plan
• Pipe detection survey confirmed existence of the water distribution system in the Neiafau Vava’u water supply network
• Support to the Tonga Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Natural Resources in intranet and Internet development, with training of relevant staff and in-country technicians
• Assessment of wind energy resource development, provision of technical assistance, training, and provision and maintenance of database
• Development of energy resources incorporating appropriate technologies and increase of community access to and awareness of these resources
• Development of cost-effective and suitable technology such as Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, intranet and internet technologies, and relevant support to government departments concerned
• Provision of technical advice on water and sanitation in the region, water and waste management awareness, and the development of strategies to reduce vulnerability to drought
• Review of existing policy and legislation in water, energy and relevant information and communication technologies
• Representation of Pacific concerns at global forums and coordination of regional action plans

Community Risk Programme

Issues

• Management of community vulnerability to natural hazards and risks, which can have devastating impacts economically, socially and environmentally.

Concerns

• Preparedness for disasters requires appropriate skills, knowledge and resources
• Need to improve assessment of environmental vulnerability and risks
• Prevention and minimisation of impacts of man-induced disasters
• Need to strengthen the capacity of the National Disaster Preparedness Committee
• Tonga’s vulnerability to climate change
• Weak meteorological capabilities
• Need to strengthen civil society capacity in emergency and disaster preparedness

Response

• Risk analysis project assessing the interaction among hazards, property, lifelines and demographics· Pacific Cities project quantifies risks in a GIS database
• Development of a range of risk assessment tools for the Tonga government
• Development and adaptation of a National Framework for Tonga on Regional Disaster Policy and Planning· Follow up training to the National Fire Service of Tonga
• Public awareness workshop on the risk associated with geohazards to improve preparedness of communities in Tonga· The provision of support where appropriate for Tonga’s representation at international training programmes, workshops and conferences
• Promotion of mainstreaming risk management through the application of Comprehensive Hazards and Risk Management (CHARM)
• CHARM national training courses and workshops
• The provision of post disaster technical or institutional support following the impact of disasters.
• Development of the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) to assess the vulnerability of countries and assist national stakeholders in decision-making/policy to reduce vulnerabilities.