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On Friday, September 23^rd the Department of Climate Change wrapped up the National Climate Change Awareness Week 2022 programme with an exhibition at Queen Salote Hall.

The week-long event was hosted by the department in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders and partners to raise awareness on climate actions and to inform and educate the people of Tonga about the impacts of climate change on the environment, communities and livelihoods.

Acting Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu said, the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that humans are directly responsible for the observed changes in climate.

“These changes will deteriorate, sine will be irreversible and some other effects will have existential threats for many of the people in the low lying islands including Tonga.”

Tonga have experienced these impacts of climate change;

• The increasing intensity of tropical cyclones – Tropical Cyclone Gita severely hit Tonga in February 2018 and Tropical Cyclone Harold in April, 2020.
• Over the past decade, sea level rise with an average of 6.4mm per year that causes loss of critical infrastructures, assets and habitats in low lying coastal areas.
• Higher ocean temperature result in coral bleaching of reefs in Tonga;
• Salt water intrusion affecting groundwater quality and increase soil salinity hence resulting in the reduction of crop yields;
• Drought leads to water shortage especially the outer islands where rainwater is the only source of water.

Hon. Vaipulu said the theme ‘Building a Resilient Tonga’ strongly emphasize the importance of working together in harmony to build resilience in Tonga.

CEO for MEIDECC, Mr. Paula Ma’u said, “Throughout the National Climate Change Awareness Week, we have witnessed the partnerships of various stakeholders in Tonga and the ongoing support from our donors and also our partners.”

The week-long event demonstrates that climate resilience agenda can be driven and achieved by key related sectors in close collaborations with donors and development partners.

Tonga’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Road Map and Investment Plan with Project Pipeline was also launched as well as the Tonga Energy Road Map 2021-2035.

The exhibition was attended by government ministries, non-government organizations, relevant stakeholders, schools and communities to display their climate actions in building climate resilience in Tonga.

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22^nd September 2021 The National Ozone Unit from the Ministry of MEIDECC – Department of Climate Change hosted the commemoration of the world ozone day on the second day of the Tonga National Climate Change Awareness Week, held at the Queen Salote College Hall.

The international day for the preservation of the ozone layer was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on the 16^th of September 1994 to commemorate the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (resolution 49/114).  As a member of the party, Tonga joins other Pacific Islands in celebrating and affirming the successful interventions of the Montreal Protocol by conducting national awareness programs on the significance of safeguarding the ozone layer.

The highlights of the world ozone day program were the launching of the regional ozone2climate art contest, presenting the Montreal Protocol inspection board and blowing of the commemoration candles. These accomplishments were led by the honourable guest of honor the minister for Finance and Customs, Hon. Tevita Lavemaau.

The regional art contest is a one-year-long campaign on the protection of the ozone layer and its link to climate change which will be awarded during next year’s ozone day. The inspection board is a gift from the ozone unit to the customs trade division to assist with the border control officers in identifying the controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol as well as applying the correct HS Code for each refrigerant and finally with the cake ceremony as a symbol of celebrating the world ozone day.

During the program, the guest of honor highly acknowledged the collaborations between his Ministry and the Ministry responsible for climate change and ozone layer protection. He highlighted the fact that without the tireless efforts and the spirit of working together as one, today’s milestones would be an illusion. He also insisted on the need of taking into utmost concern, our ozone and climate.  Hon. Minister concluded in his keynote address for the commemoration of world ozone day by urging the people of Tonga, to accept the fact that climate change is real and immediate action is needed, without delay.

The commemoration program finished off with an awareness consultation with secondary school students, youth groups and women’s groups. The Director for climate change, Ms Luísa Tuíáfitu Malolo who delivered a speech on the connections between ozone and Climate Change. Speaking alongside the director for climate change were Mr Sau Niulala from Customs and Mr Fatafehi Fakatava from Tonga Refrigeration Air Condition Engineering Association. They spoke on their fields of work and their relation to ozone layer protection and climate change. This awareness consultation was named after one of our traditional alert systems; Manu – e – kaho keke lelea pe which depicts the importance of caring out awareness programs on issues important to the safety and livelihood of the people of Tonga.

The world ozone day program was fully funded by the United Nations Environment Program and was attended by different government and non – government stakeholders.

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Issued by the Department of Climate Change (MEIDECC)

On Sunday the 19^th of September, 2021 the National Climate Change Awareness Week began its week with a formal Sunday service led by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Liahona High School’s teacher’s lounge.

The service was led by the Nuku’alofa President Stake Liahona Tonga reaffirming the week’s theme: “Building a Resilient Tonga” or “Takanga ‘etau fohe kiha Tonga ‘oku Tu’uloa” acknowledging how godly the theme is in regards to making sure that altogether in unity, we will build a resilient Tonga.

“It is important that we build a safe and better environment for our children for they are the future of our Kingdom. As shown in the bible, God created everything, the waters, the animals and all living things. God even created man and woman in his image and commanded them to continue to maintain what he had created,” said President Fifita Taufa, the stake President of Nuku’alofa Tonga Liahona.

Area Seventy-Pacific Area Elder ‘Inoke Fotu Kupu

He continued “Today, we are taking the importance of maintaining our surrounding into a new level of awareness for the safety and resilience of Tonga.”

The Director for the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC, Mrs. Lu’isa Tu’i’afitu Malolo elaborated more on defining ‘climate change’ in which its elements includes rainfall, sea level, and tropical cyclones. 78% of the gas surrounding the atmosphere is known as nitrogen, 28% are oxygen and 1% are the other gases including the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

“In 1992, climate change was recognized internationally, therefore the Unite Nations Framework Convention on climate change and came into force in 1994, and Tonga acceded the international convention in 1998 aiming to take action to minimize the gases that cause climate change,” said Mrs. Lu’isa Tu’iafitu Malolo.

The Minister for MEIDECC Mr. Poasi Mataele Tei announced how recent cyclones are now more powerful and also droughts are longer in Tonga compared to his experience of growing up in Tonga, where only a few less intense cyclones occurred after several years and droughts were shorter. He explained, “This shows that the climate is indeed changing and more severe disasters are going to be more frequent.” The CEO of MEIDECC Mr. Paula Ma’u thanked the partners and stakeholders of the government for their continuous contribution to Tonga and looked forward to collaborate with them to build a resilient Tonga.

Also present at the opening service for this year’s National Climate Change Awareness week were the Japanese Ambassador, H.E Mr. Munehgaga Kensaku, New Zealand High Commissioner, H.E Ms. Tiffany Babington, British High Commissioner, H.E Ms. Lucy Joyce, representative from the Australian High Commission, People’s Representative of Tongatapu 5,Hon. Losaline Ma’asi, JNAP taskforce members including the Civil Society Forum of Tonga, Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and relevant stakeholders.

The service ended with a luncheon at Vakaloa Beach Resort at the generosity of USAID: Climate Ready Project.

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Issued by the Department of Climate Change (MEIDECC)

Some of the workshop participants during the workshop