Tongan PM Urges Action: “Build NOW Better!”
The Prime Minister of Tonga Hon. Hu’akavameiliku deliver statement at the PCRIC Site Event at the Moana Pavilion
The Kingdom of Tonga is taking proactive steps on the resilience and disaster risk management strategies. The Prime Minister of Tonga Hon. Huákavameiliku highlights the urgency of building NOW better, strengthening the nation’s ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters.
The Government of Tonga is committed to not just rebuilding back but rebuilding forward by implementing policies that deepen resilience and recovery efforts, as the recent volcano eruption and other recurring natural disasters have highlighted the vulnerability of Tonga the region.
An initiative in Tonga’s resilience journey is the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC). Establishing PCRIC has played a crucial role in disaster risk management, offering insurance products that fill critical financing gaps for small island states. The success of PCRIC lies in its ability to provide quick funding, allowing the government to address recovery, reconstruction, and resilience without redirecting scarce local resources.
Hon. Hu’akavameiliku expressed gratitude for the support of the international community in Tonga’s resilience programs, emphasizing the importance of parametric risk pooling insurance as a foundation of the disaster risk management toolkit. The key collaboration has proven crucial in ensuring that Tonga is better equipped to navigate the challenges posed by climate change.
Hon. Hu’akavameiliku urged global partners to view resilience as more than surviving adversity. Instead, he called for a shift towards proactive strategies that shape mindsets and empower nations to thrive in the face of climate challenges. “We must build NOW better,”
ENDS