Results for Environment

Biodiversity conservation in Tonga and Fiji is vital for the development of its tourism sectors and must be managed properly to sustain the natural habitat, while providing a livelihood to communities. The importance of preserving biodiversity was made clear at this month’s High Level Roundtable discussions of the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP13) in Cancun, Mexico.

Burning waste and particularly the burning of tyres is against the law, and creates a serious health hazard, warns Malakai Sika, CEO of the Waste Authority Ltd., which runs the Tapuhia Landfill site on Tongatapu.

Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a 'Ulukālala was nearly "plastered" this morning when a long strip of plaster molding fell from a high ceiling at the Loumaile Lodge, hitting the floor right behind his chair.

The Environment Management Regulation 2016 passed in May, will not be enforced until 2017, the Acting Director of Environment, Mafile’o Masi confirmed yesterday, 7 September. The Act aims to punish Tongans' habit of dumping and burning rubbish in private homes and public places, including beaches and roadsides.

Tonga today marked World Environment Day, which falls on Sunday, 5 June, with programs that included a Go Green initiative that saw new rubbish bins on the Nuku’alofa waterfront and the start of a National Environment Awareness Week by government.

Raising awareness to protect Pacific whales in the face of emerging threats is part of a regional campaign ‘Protect Pacific Whales’ recently launched by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

An announcement by government yesterday, 25 January, that it would create a 10 acres Va’epopua National Park in a former Nuku’alofa rubbish dump is yet another controversial decision that government has made during the past weeks - the park excludes the 500-600 year old Va’epopua Sia Heulupe archaeological site, the objective of a conservationist petition last year.

During the final round of talks on climate change in Paris, France, Tonga is the latest country to submit its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), joining over 150 Parties who have submitted their INDCs.

A 'Clean & Green' Tonga campaign by the Rotary Club of Nuku'alofa successfully distributed over 1000 'Clean & Green' bags at the Tongatapu Royal Agriculture, Fisheries Show on August 21-22. Photos by Sonia Chirgwin.