King opens Vava'u Emergency Coordination Centre [1]
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - 17:59
HM King Tupou VI accompanied by Queen Nanasipau’u opened a new Vava’u Emergency Coordination Centre today in Neiafu.
Built at a cost of $1.9 million pa’anga, the centre aims to strengthen resilience to natural disasters and climate change, by facilitating activities such as improved forecasting and responses to better prepare communities and individuals for current and future climate disaster risks.
Tonga remains the second most-at-risk country in the world to natural disasters.
Prime Minister Hon Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa said the key to resilience against natural disasters is preparedness and that is the very purpose of this construction.
“Tonga is highly vulnerable to natural disasters like tropical cyclones, earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis. It is increasing in number and intensity. We are not only at risk, but it is a matter of survival, culminated by the adverse impact of climate change.”
The two-storey centre is equipped with office equipment valued at $152,411 pa’anga and has four 25,000-litre water tanks and a generator on standby.
The centre will continue to be developed so that in the event of failure or partial failure of the Fua’amotu Warning Centre or the National Emergency Management Office in Nuku'alofa, it will provide a backup location for issuing national warnings.
Co-funded by the World Bank, Global Environment Facility, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and the Government of Tonga, the project was implemented by MEIDECC in collaboration with the Ministry of Education & Training, Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The Prime Minister also announced a new project to extend the Lupepau’u Airport in Vava'u to cater for larger aircrafts under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement.