A smart water monitoring system, known as ToGWIS, will provide critical data to help sustain Tonga’s groundwater source in the face of climate variability. The new system was signed over to government at a workshop on 28 June at the Tanoa Hotel.

Tonga’s groundwater source sits underneath community settlements and commercial developments making it vulnerable to over exploitation and mismanagement. The quantity and quality of groundwater is at high risk from pollution. Managing and sustaining groundwater resources is critical to control reduction of surface water, and salt water intrusion. The system, formulated by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) and the Asia Pacific Economic Commission Climate Centre (APCC), can monitor the quality and physical property of groundwater in real time, and provide key information to inform government policy and decision makers.

MLNR CEO, Rosamond Bing, and APCC’s Research Fellow, Dr Sunkwon Yoon, who led the ToGWIS project, signed the handover agreement.

The ToGWIS can perform four main tasks among others that is critical to the future sustainability of Tonga’s water source.

Firstly, it can read water data remotely, upload data and interpret it via graphs or 3D, the condition of the groundwater in relation to climatic and weather conditions.

Secondly, it can calculate the volume of the groundwater used to set the sustainable pump rate per season.

Thirdly, it provides accurate seasonal forecasting six months ahead to the expected condition of the groundwater, based on climatic seasonal forecasting.

And fourthly, it can produce groundwater resource mapping based on climatic predictions which can be used for long term strategic actions to address climate change impacts in the next 15-80 years.

Research lacking

MLNR Deputy Secretary, Mr Taaniela Kula, said that besides monitoring water sources, the system provides an opportunity for more research, something which has been lacking in the past.

He said ToGWIS can be used to facilitate research papers in the areas of health, water, and climate change, and is useful for students, research fellows and science based decision making organisations, such as Agriculture, Public Water Supplier, Disaster Relief Management, Urban Planning and Management, Public Health Management, Land Use Planning and Water Resources Management. 

The ToGWIS will be maintained by the Natural Resources Division and can be viewed on http://togwis.magpiesoft.co.kr/Home/Home [2].