Enhancing the resilience of six coastal communities on Tongatapu to climate change impacts and disaster risks

Communities (Nukuleka, Makaunga, Talafo’ou, Navutoka, Manuka and Kolonga) that are situated on the northern coastline of Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga, are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and disaster risks (sea level rise, storm surge & coastal erosion) principally because of their  low topographic elevation (less than 2m above the mean sea level). The purpose of this work, funded by The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) and Tonga’s Joint National Action Plan (JNAP), was to carryout coastal feasibility studies, coastal design and costing for immediate and concrete coastal engineering adaptation actions to be implemented for these six vulnerable communities. The outputs were a “Coastal feasibility Studies Report“ (involving coastal geomorphology mapping;  beach profiling; sediment sample analysis; determination of wave parameters and littoral current regimes; marine/land flora and faunal assemblages and coastal aquifer assessments) and a “Coastal Design and Costing Report” (involving the design of the most appropriate coastal structures/techniques  for these vulnerable communities, and coastal structure costings).