Tonga's National Communication Reports in response to the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change.
Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management
Climate Change Policies of Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga’s Third National Greenhouse Gas Inventories of Anthropogenic Emissions by Sources and Removals by Sinks of All Greenhouse Gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol Year 2006.
Tropical Cyclone Gita hit the main island of Tongatapu and the island of ‘Eua on the night of Monday, 12th February 2018 as a destructive category 4 storm, causing severe damages to these two islands which consists of about 80% of the Total population of Tonga.
This assessment uses the post-disaster data collected by the Statistical Department to describe the characteristics of the affected population, nature and spatial concentration of the damage, and the aid required and received at the time of the interview by the Tongan population.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai massive undersea volcanic eruption occurred on the 15th of January 2022 and led to an induced tsunami event. The eruption triggered a tsunami warning for several South Pacific island nations with rising water levels were reported on the coastline of Peru and the Pacific Coast in the United States and caused devastating impact across Tonga. In addition, volcanic ash residue was also visible on land surfaces including building structures and surrounding vegetation.
This dataset contains preliminary impact assessments of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcanic eruption and induced tsunami in January 2022.
The eruptions sent a plume of ash, gas and steam 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the air. Satellite imagery showed a massive ash cloud and shockwaves spreading from the eruption. Ash was falling from the sky in the Tonga capital, Nuku'alofa, Saturday evening and phone connections were down. The eruption was likely the biggest recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years, according to experts.
CEPA Environment Permit Application Form to Discharge Waste Schedule and Additional Information Schedule 2.
The Tonga State of the Environment 2018 report has been developed to answer three key questions related
to the environment of Tonga, and is based on seven thematic areas:
• What is the current condition of the Tongan environment?
• What are the risks the Tongan environment faces and what measures have been put forward to minimise them? This could provide lessons for Tonga.
• Where is the environment of Tonga headed based on the assessed thematic areas?
This dataset contains all spatial data that is related to the Tonga volcanic eruption. Maps produced are derived from credible data source such as UNOSTAT and UNITAR.
Cyclone Evan hit Samoa in December 2012 and caused immense damage and significant losses. This comprehensive assessment estimates those damages and losses, and identifies the needs of the affected population.
In this report, the value of durable physical assets across all economic and social sectors destroyed by Evan (referred to as damage) is estimated at SAT 235.7 million, equivalent to US$103.3 million.
Data on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) including Greenhouse Gases
The Pacific islands are uniquely vulnerable to a variety of unpredictable events - natural disasters, including potential climate change impact, as well as health emergencies. The region is made up of mainly very small countries with poor socio-economic development. These and other contextual factors result in unique challenges in building systems, skills and experience necessary to maintain and promote a well functioning national society.
The Pacific Islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability.1 Adaptation to climate change and variability (CCV) is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks.
The human drama of climate change will largely be played out in Asia, where over 60 per cent of the world's population, around four billion people, live. Over half of those live near the coast, making them directly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Disruption to the region's water cycle caused by climate change also threatens the security and productivity of the food systems upon which they depend. In acknowledgement, both of the key meetings in 2007 and 2008 to secure a global climate agreement will be in Asia.
Available electronically
The main topographical features of Samoa are rugged mountains of volcanic origin, surrounded by flat and rolling coastal plains. All the islands of Samoa were formed by volcanic activity. Savai'i is regarded as still volcanically active with its most recent eruption producing lava flows between 1905 and 1911. A large percentage of Samoan soils are porous, shallow and clay in texture.
Also available online|A PICCAP-GEF funded project
Call Number: 551.6 UNI [EL],302.2 GOV,VF 2682,INT-CON
Physical Description: xi, 50 p. ; 29 cm
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Meteorological
Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or
concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
2 copies
Call Number: 551.632 PAC
Physical Description: various pagings
As our understanding of the scale of environmental challenges
deepens, so we are also forced to contemplate the inadequacy of
the current responses to these challenges. By and large, these
responses retreat from engaging the values that underpin our decisions as citizens, voters and consumers: mainstream approaches to tackling environmental threats do not question the dominance of today's individualistic and materialistic values.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 42 p.
As parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gather in Bali, Indonesia to initiate a fresh effort to develop a global strategy to address climate change, the case for basing that strategy on early, deep cuts in emissions is being aggressively touted. To reinforce that case, the argument is being made that if such a strategy is not
adopted, developing countries like China and India will be those most adversely affected.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 32 p.