Tonga has launched a revised Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (JNAP2).
The plan will play a central role in guiding Tonga’s efforts to build resilience to climate change, in particular rising seas, and minimize risks of disasters such as Cyclones Gita and Kofi.
Tonga has also taken measures to insure risk from disasters and is of five Pacific Island countries that purchased catastrophe risk insurance from Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) – a regional catastrophe insurance platform that offers governments insurance cover against climate and seismic hazards.
In the wake of Cyclone Gita, the government of Tonga received a US$3.5 million payout from the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) based on its insurance cover against tropical cyclones.
The Hon. Poasi Tei, Minister for the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), officially launched JNAP2 at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall on 17 August, 2018, to mark the completion of Tonga’s Climate Change Awareness Week.
In his remarks, the minister said, “The Government of Tonga endorsed its new Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, JNAP2, in May 2018. With this endorsement, the government acknowledges the importance of JNAP2 and its role in helping us prioritises, coordinate and collaborate on climate change and disaster risk actions throughout the nation.”
The Honorable Minister continued, “With guidance from the JNAP2 over ten years, 2018-2028, the government aims to significantly increase Tonga’s resilience to the impacts of climate change and enhance our management of disaster risks.”
The Minister also thanked development partners, and in particular the European Union (EU), Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Green Climate Fund, USAID and UNDP NAP-GSP for their financial support, and stressed that “the government plans to stimulate a stronger and better ‘whole-of-country’ approach to deliver climate change adaptation and Disaster Risk Management”.
Building on lessons learnt from the JNAP 1, JNAP 2 is the result of years of thorough consultations conducted with various stakeholders, which included communities, NGOs and numerous government line ministries.
Source: Tonga Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC)
