30th October 2018Stakeholders are participating in Tonga’s first National Mangroves Workshop at Bahai Hall, Kolofo’ou. The three-day event was opened by the Acting CEO for MEIDECC Mr. Vatulele Tuputpu.
The workshop is Tonga’s response to the call in a regional technical mangroves workshop in March this year which stressed the need for Pacific Island Countries to develop a National Mangroves Management Plan to ensure resiliency through nature-based solutions.
“Mangroves activities in the past has been informed through the National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan Framework, JNAP, regulations, policies as well as regional work such as the MESCAL and Ridge to Reef programs implemented in the past. There are many active implementers of such framework varying from NGOs, private sectors and at the community level,” said Mr. Tuputupu.
The workshop aims to:
- Enhance knowledge and understanding on nature-based solutions and its importance for disaster risk reduction (DRR)
- Increase climate change adaptation and community resilience
- Increase knowledge on roles of biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Increase knowledge on the role of mangroves ecosystem for DRR
- Mangrove conservation and restoration and
- To assist with efforts to establish a national mangroves management plan for Tonga
The training is funded by the IUCN in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change project under GIZ.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change & Communications.