New rainwater catchment systems and rehabilitated cement tanks were unveiled at Tefisi, Vava'u, on Wednesday 25 May, in a project funded by USAID.

The United States Ambassador to Tonga Judith Cefkin with the Governor of Vava’u Lord Fulivai, Dr Rebecca Carter Deputy Director of USAID/Phillipines Office for Environment and Nancy Gehron Country-Director for Peace Corps Tonga celebrated the project with the community.

This included the construction of three stand-alone rainwater catchment systems each with two 10,000 litre tanks and rehabilitation of three existing ferro-cement storage tanks.

Collectively this project increases the community’s rainwater catchment capacity by more than 60,000 litres increasing its resilience to the impacts of climate change and variability and climate events such as El Nino, stated the U.S Embassy in Suva.

USAID’s Coastal Community Adaptation Project had begun working with Tefisi, Hunga, Makave, Okoa and ‘Utulei communities in early 2014, after they indicated that drought was their most significant risk from climate change.

Other funded activities had included the installation of rainwater catchment systems in homes in Okoa, Makave, ‘Utulei and Hunga.