Enhancing Transparency and Coastal Protection in Hahake through the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project

Nuku‘alofa, Tonga – Last week, the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project (TCRP) reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and inclusive community engagement by convening a progress update meeting with the Town Officers and the District Officer representing the six Hahake villages where coastal protection infrastructure will be constructed. The meeting, held on 19 February at Maliepo Hall, was led by the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the Department of Climate Change.

A key focus of the session was raising awareness of the Project’s Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). The GRM provides a transparent, accessible, and fair process for community members to raise concerns, submit complaints, and receive timely responses throughout project implementation. Brochures and posters were distributed during the meeting, with plans to display GRM posters in community halls and make brochures available at the offices of the Town Officers and the District Officer to ensure broad community access.

Welcoming this initiative, the Town Officer of Talafo‘ou emphasized that coastal protection has been a long-standing priority in Hahake’s community development plans. He described the project as a timely and much-needed response to safeguard homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure from increasing climate-related risks, including coastal erosion, wave overtopping, and sea-level rise.

As part of strengthening coordination and community ownership, participants agreed to establish a Community Management Committee in each of the six beneficiary communities. These committees will serve as focal points for engagement, information sharing, and coordination during the construction and monitoring phases of the project.

The TCRP is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with a total financing envelope of approximately USD 23.9 million, and is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Tonga under a Direct Implementation Modality. The seven-year initiative (2024–2031) aims to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities, strengthen climate risk information and planning systems, and build long-term adaptive capacity across Tonga.

Under Output 3 of the Project, 4.3 kilometres of coastal protection measures will be constructed along the Hahake coastline. This includes 2.3 kilometres of rock revetment between Nukuleka and Talafo‘ou, as well as overtopping protection measures between Manuka and Kolonga. These interventions are expected to directly benefit 3,258 people living adjacent to the coastal works in Kolonga, Makaunga, Talafo‘ou, Navutoka, Manuka, and Nukuleka.

Now in its second year of implementation, the TCRP continues to advance integrated solutions that combine infrastructure investments with strengthened climate risk planning, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder dialogue—supporting Tonga’s long-term vision for resilient coastal communities.

ENDS

For more information, please contact: Afuafu Kautoke, TCRP National Project Manager, Project Management Unit – Department of Climate, MEIDECC, afuafu.kautoke@undp.org | Luseane Taufa, Project Communications Officer, luseane.apilahi.taufa@undp.org