On January 15 the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga, generating ashfall and a tsunami that affected 84 percent of the country’s population. A few days later, amid heat and humidity, scores of people all over Tonga came out to clean up debris and ash, even sweeping airport runways clean so aircraft carrying disaster relief could land.
In other words, how can the country’s infrastructure, communication systems and approach to development be redesigned to match the resilience of its people? For most small island nations, disaster management and recovery are not new issues. However, this most recent calamity has highlighted some acute vulnerabilities, as well as the undeniable urgency to act. A major study on multihazard climate and disaster risks commissioned by the Government of Tonga and the Asian Development Bank in 2020 contained some ominous findings.
Such transformational change would not only require significant investments, but also courageous and visionary leaders, political will, skilled technical experts and an informed public to be on board. And there are many elements already working in the country’s favor. Tonga is relatively peaceful with a stable political system, high human development indicators and a number of strong national policies and strategies in place geared towards disaster readiness and long-term resilience.
I am so willing to help out. Send me to Tonga!
Should remember the vulnerability of us all