Tonga: Cyclone Ian Reconstruction and Climate Resilience Project

Building back climate-resilient homes in Tonga following Tropical Cyclone Ian. Source

Context and Objectives 

The project supported the National Tropical Cyclone Ian Response Plan. It aimed to strengthen the climate resilience of housing and selected community facilities for the affected population of the Ha’apai islands, and to strengthen the Government of Tonga's preparedness to recover from future natural disasters.

Main Activities and results

• The 2010 National Emergency Management Plan and the 2007 Emergency Management Act were reviewed and updated.
• A National Housing Reconstruction Policy and a Housing Reconstruction Strategy were drafted, and submitted for cabinet approval.
• An operations manual detailing planning and implementation arrangements for disaster recovery and reconstruction was developed.
• A building construction monitoring system was developed. This included a post-disaster housing-damage-assessment data collection tool and a damage data collection tool. 50 government officials were trained, including 5 women, to supervise building work on-site and to use the inspection tool.
• A public awareness campaign on building compliance took place.
• Coastal hazard risks were assessed and mapped to inform reconstruction planning and resilience building within the Ha'apai affected areas.
• The Tonga building code was updated.

Partnerships and Coordination

Every effort was undertaken to coordinate with the Delegation for the Pacific and other EU-funded programmes such as the 10th EDF ACP-EU Building Resilience and Safety in the Pacific (BRSP) programme, the DCI-ENV GCCA Pacific Small Islands Pacific States projects and the 10th EDF EU-GIZ Adapting to Climate change and Sustainable Energy programme.
Coordination with government institutions took place, with constant interactions regarding data preparedness and emergency response procedures.