National Climate Change Awareness continues in ‘Eua with a focus on the GCF Tonga Country Programme
Local District and Town Officers of Eua participated in the consultation ; Climate Change National Awareness Program
31st July 2019 The Green Climate Fund Tonga Readiness & Preparatory Support Programme (GCF-RPSP) under the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC conducted a consultation with local district officers and town officers of ‘Eua as part of the National Climate Change Awareness Week on the 31st July 2019 at the Ekklesia Hall at ‘Ohonua.
Twenty six local district and town officers attended the consultation focused on the introduction of the GCF Tonga Country Programme (endorsed in October 2018), which consolidates national priorities initially drawn from both governments endorsed strategic plans and previous consultations for climate resilience to be developed into proposals for GCF Support.
Mr. Sunia Havea, the Government Representative of ‘Eua delivered the welcoming remarks to the participants showing his support of the National Climate Change Awareness Week. He thanked the team from the Department of Climate Change for holding this consultation to help encourage the district and town officers to understand more about the Green Climate Fund and how it would help the communities of ‘Eua.
GCF-RPSP Officer, Ms. Malia ‘Avala presented the pipeline projects listed under the Tonga GCF Country Program, which are aligned with visions of the National Climate Change Policy and the Second Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, to achieve a ‘Resilient Tonga by 2035’.
Town officers are concerned that they have been proposing for funding for years now and they haven’t got any respond to help assist with climate impacts in their communities. Therefore, the district and town officers want to help push for more climate action to reduce the climate change impacts which include road upgrades, renovations to the wharf and other priorities of the Eua communities.
The district officer of ‘Eua Motu’a, Mr. Paula Tua’i expressed his gratitude for this consultation meeting about climate change. “Back then, heavy and prolonged rainfall would occur after a period of ten years or so, now heavy rainfall occurs frequently and thus our homes and roads are destroyed due to flooding. It is good to know that now there are opportunities available and we hope that drainage systems could be implemented to help safeguard our communities from these impacts.
Ms. Fololita Sila, Senior Policy Officer from the Department of Climate Change delivered the vote of thanks, thanking the district and town officers for attending the consultation and highlighting the importance of communities in ‘Eua, town officers and Climate Change Department to continue working together to increase climate action in Tonga.
ENDS
Issued by the Department of Climate Change (MEIDECC)