Results for Environment

A new marine navigation chart survey of the waters of Ha‘apai and Nuku‘alofa, has discovered uncharted marine volcanoes that are big enough to sink a cruise ship. Tonga's marine charts, among the oldest still in use, are being updated using airborne laser, metric sonar and an unmanned submarine- enhancing Captain Cook's fathoms measurements made by ropes in the 18th century. By Eleanor Gee.

The successful relocation of Tukuraki, a Fijian village in the highlands of Ba, Viti Levu, to a new site is a prime example of the future of climate resilience, a reality faced by communities vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters in the Pacific. Their new houses were built to withstand Category 5 cyclones and cost less then FJD$26,000 each with bathrooms. By Eleanor Gee.

Using fabric bags and kato ‘oa (coconut woven baskets) as alternatives to single use plastics is the aim of a No Pelesitiki Campaign launched in Tonga on November 26, with the support of Queen Nanasipau‘u.

Consultation on the use of ocean and marine resources as well as marine spatial planning (MSP) is currently underway in Vava’u with the Minister for MEIDECC, Hon Poasi Tei, joining the team today, 19 October 2018.

Artwork made out of recycled materials was exhibited to raise awareness of climate change, at the launch of Tonga’s Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (JNAP2), at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall today, 17 August.

Tonga is finding it difficult to manage illegal dumping of rubbish, including plastic bags, in Nuku'alofa, as it celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June with the worldwide theme "Beat Plastic Pollution". Filimone Lapao’o, the Tonga goverment's Senior Environmentalist, said after Cyclone Gita, the amount of rubbish at Sopu increased so much that his department cannot manage it properly. By Eleanor Gee.

A rare "super blue blood" Moon lit up the sky last night in Tongatapu, followed by a full lunar eclipse in the early hours of this morning when the spectacularly bright moon went dark for over an hour.

Land that was once frozen in the Yukon Territory in Northern Canada is becoming agriculture friendly due to global warming and is being offered for free to small farmers. The Yukon borders on Alaska and its government has already given away nearly 8,000 acres of farmland over the last 10 years, with a dozen applicants currently being considered.

Important questions over massive environmental damage caused by site works for the Va'epopua 18-holes golf course and its associated commercial developments remain unanswered, in spite of fears that the project is killing the reef and endangering the health and fishing livelihoods of its coastal communities.