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“Build Back Better” – Six months after the Tongan undersea volcano eruption

Posted on 2022-09-082022-09-08 by Editor in Chief

Conference Title: Build Back Better Vision Seminar in the Kingdom of Tonga

Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 10:00-12:00 (Japan time)

Organized by: National Spatial Planning Agency (NSPA) of the Kingdom of Tonga and JICA

Location: Nuku’alofa, capital of the Kingdom of Tonga

(Tongan side) Tukua Tonga (President, NSPA), Sir Tuiafitu (Minister, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources), Seventeen Toumua (Minister, Ministry of Infrastructure), Paula Mau (Under Secretary, Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications), Rosamond Bing (Under Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources)

(Japanese side) Kensaku Munenaga (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Japan in Tonga), Junichi Yamada (Vice President, JICA), Toshiaki Yokoi (International Cooperation Specialist, Disaster Management Group, Global Environment Department, JICA)

participant

150 people from both Japan and Tonga, including His Royal Highness Prince Tupoutoa

Background and Objectives

On January 15 of this year, a massive eruption occurred at a submarine volcano (Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai Volcano) located about 65 km north of Nuku’alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. The resulting tsunami and volcanic ash caused damage to buildings, flooding, transportation and communication infrastructure, crop damage, and tourism resources such as hotels. The Government of Tonga has developed the “Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai Volcanic Eruption and Tonga Tsunami Recovery and Resilience Building Plan 2022-2025” (Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai Volcanic Eruption and Tonga Tsunami Recovery and Resilience Building Plan 2022-2025). The plan is being implemented in cooperation with Japan and other development partners.

In order to “Build Back Better” in Tonga, it is essential to scientifically understand the possibility of future disasters and the risks involved, and to develop appropriate countermeasures. In Tonga, it is important to scientifically estimate the possibility of future disasters such as volcanic eruptions, huge earthquakes, tsunamis, and cyclone-related storm surges, and the scale of damage that could occur in the future. To this end, Japan, with the cooperation of experts in the fields of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, held discussions with the Royal Geological Service (TGS) and others, initially remotely and after May by sending a team of staff and consultants, despite travel restrictions due to the corona disaster.

As a result, the Kingdom of Tonga and Japan, as frequent disaster-prone countries, decided to cooperate and present the “Build Back Better (BBB) Vision” to the people of Tonga and other stakeholders at home and abroad. The purpose of this vision is to confirm, based on scientific evidence, the possibility of future disasters in the recovery process, and to reduce the risk of future disasters by seamlessly strengthening preparedness for the next disaster. The Tongan government has prepared an official NSPA document based on the draft provided by JICA, which has been approved by the Cabinet and will be used for future development projects within Tonga’s National Strategic Framework.

This seminar was an important opportunity for the Tongan government to present the BBB Vision, which outlines the basic direction of the BBB, along with the ideas necessary for future recovery and restoration efforts, for the first time since the disaster, both domestically and internationally.

Contents

Dr. Tukua Tonga, Director of NSPA, explained about the Tongan version of the BBB vision, which was created based on the draft provided by JICA. Based on Japan’s experience, he presented the concept of relatively frequent tsunami (L1 level) and extremely infrequent tsunami (L2 level), and proposed countermeasures for each. He also emphasized that reconstruction efforts should focus on structural measures necessary for disaster risk reduction, particularly promoting pre-disaster investments in disaster prevention infrastructure along the coastline and in strengthening critical public infrastructure in urban areas, as well as on strengthening the means of livelihood of the local population.

Mr. Yokoi, International Cooperation Specialist, Disaster Prevention Group, Global Environment Department, JICA, while referring to the presentation by Dr. Tukua Tonga, the Director of JICA, and the results of the analysis by experts, emphasized the need to prepare for the next disaster by investing in structural measures such as the development of disaster prevention infrastructure along the coastline and public infrastructure including robust transport and communication systems, especially in urban areas with high capital accumulation. In rural and island areas, while focusing on self-help and mutual aid, the government should promote development and investment in transportation, communication, education, and health sectors, and also emphasize that multi-purpose and multi-protection measures are effective in both urban and rural areas. Multi-purpose and Multi-protection measures are effective in both urban and rural areas.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Yamada, Vice President of JICA, gave a strong message of appreciation for the fact that Tonga, in the midst of the difficult situation caused by the Corona disaster, had worked with Japan to quickly develop a better recovery vision based on the BBB principles set forth in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction based on Japan’s experience with disasters, and he hoped that Tonga would achieve recovery based on the BBB vision and build a resilient country with Japan. The BBB vision is a strong message of hope that Tonga will achieve recovery and build a disaster resilient nation together with Japan.

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© Source JICA

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