2022/02/11 - As the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai eruption spewed ash that blanketed the islands of Ha’apai, Tongatapu and ‘Eua – the need for rain to help settle the dust was great. Forecast for rainfall was not due any time soon for Tonga and as...
In the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai volcanic eruption, access to safe drinking water has emerged as a critical challenge for communities across Tonga. Volcanic ash contaminated household rainwater tanks throughout the country, first affecting Mango and Fonoifua—two of the islands closest to the...
NUKU‘ALOFA — The Government of Tonga announced its first confirmed cases of COVID-19 during a press conference on Tuesday evening, February 1, 2022, revealing that two frontline workers had tested positive for the virus. In response, authorities ordered a nationwide lockdown to take effect the following...
The volcanic eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) and subsequent tsunami gripped the world on Saturday January 15th, 2022 and plunged Tonga into darkness for over a week and a half. The blast that could be felt as far as Peru was produced by...
The world is slowly learning of the impact the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcanic eruptions left in its wake on the Tongan islands. The small activity observed from December of 2021 paled in comparison to the violent explosions, tsunami and ashfall that took place...
Government of Tonga with Partners launched the Pacific Islands Rural & Agricultural Stimulus Facility (PIRAS) established to minimize impacts of COVID-19 on livelihoods and food security of rural households throughout the Pacific including the Kingdom of Tonga. PIRAS is a regional initiative that covers the...
2021/09/27 - Molimolitu'u is an old Tongan word which is defined as somewhere one loves and likes to visit often. Therefore, the royal estate of Molimolitu’u is envisaged to attract the good folks of Pangaimotu be drawn to the farm to care for it as...
What began as a practical solution to land access for two communities has grown into one of Tonga’s most significant demonstrations of sustainable agriculture and community-driven development. Through a collaboration between the Palace Office, the communities of Feletoa and Mataika, and MORDI Tonga Trust, the royal...
July 24, 2021 - When Manase Siua boarded a flight from ‘Eua to Vava‘u earlier this month, he carried no tools or planting materials. What he brought instead was something increasingly valuable in Tonga’s rural economy: lived experience. Mr. Siua, one of ‘Eua’s leading kava farmers,...
2021/07/06 - Addressing the challenges faced by Tonga’s rural communities is the aim of “Research on Open Pollinated Seeds” which will be implemented in Tonga as a joint partnership between JICA and MORDI TT. This project comes at a critical time for Tonga as communities...