Climate change and disaster impacts

Australia is committed to working in partnership with the Government of Tonga to meet the needs and aspirations of its people to build resilience to climate change and disaster events.

Tonga is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with most of the population and critical infrastructure located on atoll islands - including the very low-lying Tongatapu atoll. Tonga is susceptible to a range of climate change challenges, including stronger tropical cyclones, flooding, drought and heat waves, coastal erosion, increased acidity of ocean waters and sea level rise.

• As climate change impacts intensify, Tonga will experience more severe storms like 2018's Tropical Cyclone Gita (which caused damages estimated at close to 40 percent of Tonga's GDP) and 2020's Tropical Cyclone Harold. Australia's support to transition to renewable energy power is helping increase the resilience of Tonga's energy system so communities can recover more quickly after disasters.
• Tonga has a strong commitment to climate action and financing and disaster risk management. An estimated 84 per cent of the Tongan population lives within one kilometre of the coast; households, community infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and other infrastructure and assets are exposed to coastal hazards like sea level rise, inundation, flooding, and cyclones. Australia is supporting Tongan villages to develop their community development plans (CDPs) and provide resources to implement their development priorities for climate and economic resilience.
• Losses from disasters are likely to escalate with climate change. The majority of Tongan communities and the country's critical infrastructure are located on the coast and are at risk of flooding from storm surge and king tides, as well as sea level rise. The January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic Eruption and Tsunami has reminded us that Tonga is also vulnerable to geohazards. Increasing support for disaster risk reduction and preparedness is helping communities build resilience in the face of extreme weather events and other hazards.
• Climate change disproportionately impacts those already experiencing exclusion and marginalisation, including women, people with disabilities and people living in poverty. Australia is committed to supporting Gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to climate and disaster risk resilience result in better program outcomes.

Bilateral programs

Australia integrates climate and disaster resilience through its bilateral development assistance to Tonga across all areas of programming, including the infrastructure, education, energy and governance sectors.

• Australia is partnering with Tonga and New Zealand to build a new climate and disaster resilient Parliament House and Legislative Assembly, following the old building's destruction by Cyclone Gita in 2018. The design process will be risk informed, taking into consideration climate projections for the lifespan of the building.
• The co-funded Tonga Renewable Energy Program ($3.5 million, 2018-2025) and Outer Islands Renewable Energy Program (OIREP) ($9.5 million, 2013 – 2024) are helping the country meet its target of 70 percent renewable energy by 2030. Using renewable energy, such as solar, helps communities recover faster from disasters. Through this program, women have been trained to maintain power lines in support of ongoing employment, breaking down gender stereotypes about women in technical roles.
• The Tonga Renewable Energy Stabilisation Package ($15 million, 2024-2027)is supporting upgrades to energy infrastructure on Tongatapu, ensuring it is safer, more reliable and climate resilient. The upgrades will support Tonga's transition to 70% renewable energy by 2030.
• Tonga Australia Partnership for Resilient Communities ($9.5million 2024-2029) is a partnership with Tongan NGO MORDI to provide grants and resources to Tonga's villages to implement their priorities for climate and economic resilience, defined through local governance approaches (Community Development Plans). One hundred and twenty-two villages will benefit across all of Tonga's island groups.
• Through the Tonga Economic and Public Sector Reform Program, Australia is helping the Government of Tonga undertake policy reforms, including in the energy sector where renewable energy is a priority.

Regional and global programs

A range of regional and globally funded climate change investments are working directly to build climate change and disaster resilience in Tonga and across the region, including:

• Support for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) ($100 million foundational contribution). The PRF is a Pacific-led, owned and managed financing facility, which will provide grants for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, nature-based solutions and projects which respond to loss and damage. It will meet identified climate finance gaps in the Pacific, particularly by providing a more sustainable funding source for smaller scale projects. Tonga will be the country of domicile.
• The Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific Phase 3 (COSPPac3) (Australian contribution $30 million, 2023-29) supports the Tonga Meteorological Service to provide climate and ocean monitoring and prediction services. Climate predictions help farmers plan for planting and harvesting, and Pacific island countries to prepare for disasters like droughts and tropical cyclones. Ocean predictions (tide, currents, wind and waves) support fishing, tourism and shipping. Australia has also supported the repair and restoration of tide gauges.
• The Climate Finance Access Network ($9.5 million, 2023-206) has embedded climate finance experts in Fiji, Kiribati, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu providing localised support and capacity building to help Pacific ministries plan and prepare for climate investment opportunities, structure finance, develop a pipeline of high-impact projects and support country-identified needs.
• The Governance for Resilient Development in the Pacific Program (Gov4Res) (Australian contribution $7.9 million, 2019-2023) supports national and local governments and communities, as well as regional organisations, to strengthen decision-making processes and governance systems towards risk informed and resilient development. In Tonga, Gov4Res is supporting the establishment of two new staff members in the Resilience Development and Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance.
• Through Pacific Women Lead, Australia supports the Women's Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) to advance women's leadership in climate change decision-making and negotiations ($699,900, 2022-2024) and the Shifting the Power Coalition (1.9 million 2021- 2026) to strengthen diverse women's leadership in humanitarian action.
• The Australia Assists program ($94.7 million globally, 2017-2024) deploys technical specialists to work with governments, multilateral agencies and communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and conflict. Specialists are supporting the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) to deliver risk reduction measures.
• The Australian Red Cross-DFAT Humanitarian Partnership ($50 million, 2019-2024) supports the National Red Cross Society, enabling local communities to be better prepared for, respond to and recover from climate hazards and disasters. The National Society is trusted by national government partners and local communities to provide local leadership in disaster preparedness and response.