Tonga Coastal Resilience

Tonga is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including increases in temperature and precipitation, more intense tropical cyclones, and rising sea levels. Extreme events such as Tropical Cyclones Ian in 2014, Gita in 2018, and Harold in 2020, have caused devastating flooding, destruction of physical assets, and substantial economic losses, underscoring the need for immediate and comprehensive climate action.  To overcome these challenges, this project will drive a transformational shift in coastal adaptation in Tonga, empowering local stakeholders and communities to build a resilient and sustainable future. It will achieve this by establishing a national multi-sectoral platform to integrate climate risk information into local development planning; strengthening local capacities to collect and manage data for coastal adaptation planning; and constructing over four kilometres of sea defences in vulnerable coastal areas. Additionally, the project will address issues such as land-use planning and voluntary retreat to enhance Tonga’s long-term resilience.