NEW YORK – February 23, 2021: 10.25am: (UN NEWS CENTRE) – During this time of “crisis and fragility”, the UN chief told the United Nations Environment Assembly on Monday that human well-being and prosperity can be vastly improved by prioritising nature-based solutions. Painting a picture of the turmoil wreaked by COVID-19, whereby millions are […]
More depressions expected before April ends
Nuku’alofa – February 3, 2021: 2.55pm (Enviro News): Tonga should be expecting more tropical depressions before the tropical cyclone season comes to an end in April. Director Meteorology Ofa Fa’anunu made the comments while updating the National Emergency Management Committee at NEMO Office in Nuku’alofa on Tuesday. He said one depression is expected to form […]
Dealing With Disaster Waste This Tropical Cyclone Season In The Pacific
Apia, Samoa – February 3, 2021: 11.50am (SPREP): Tropical cyclones, floods, and other natural disasters can generate large quantities of waste, including building debris, fallen trees, and hazardous waste. With five Pacific islands ranked in the top 15 countries world-wide with the highest disaster risk, addressing disaster waste is crucial. The 2020 World Risk Report […]
Turtles saved, some lost out
Nuku’alofa – January 27, 2021: 11.30am (Enviro News): The Turtle Lake in Fangaloto, opposite the New Zealand High Commission residence, has lost two turtles while around 22 have been saved. Department of Environment’s Marine Team were called in to help last week, following the discovery of a dead turtle on the lake shore. When the […]
Planning and retreat for Department
Nuku’alofa – January 18, 2021: 10.20am (Enviro News): The Director and Management of the Environment Department met at the Heilala Lodge in Ha’atafu last Friday (January 15, 2021) to finalize work plans for 2021. Led by the Director, Mts Atelaite Lupe Matoto, the management team went through plans for all the different divisions within the […]
Tonga commits to achieve 70% renewable energy target by 2030
Nuku’alofa – January 14, 2021: 9.45am (Enviro News): Tonga is accelerating its efforts to achieve the 70% clean energy target by 2030, with solar power as the key driver. The Department of Energy under the Ministry of MEIDECC is collaborating with development partners to monitor ongoing projects and implement new programmes to help the country […]
Nursery gets thumbs up from partners
Nuku’alofa – November 23, 2020: 5.10pm (Enviro News): The new nursery at the Popua mangroves site has received the thumbs up from both the ILAM R2R project and the Department of Environment leadership. Paula Likiliki of the ILAM R2R project and Director of Environment Atelaite Lupe Matoto visited the site last Friday (November 20). And […]
Red List survey shows danger signs
Nuku’alofa – November 6, 2020: 10am (Enviro News): The Red Listing survey carried out here on Tongatapu shows danger signs in the identified mangrove sites. Established in 1964, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk […]
Mount Talau National Park fenced off
Neiafu, VAVA’U – October 29, 2020: 5.35pm (ENVIRONMENT News): Protecting an endangered bird and plant species has led to the fencing of the Mount Talau National Park in Neiafu in Vava’u. The fencing project was launched on Friday, October 23. The Governor of Vava’u, Lord Fakatulolo officiated at the event with the Minister for MEIDECC, […]
Partnership on new nursery
Nuku’alofa – October 21, 2020: 2pm (Enviro News): Making sure there are local plants for future replacements has brought the ILAM Project and the Department of Environment together in a new nursery project. The ILAM Project is part of the Pacific Ridge to Reef Project. The project has funded the construction of the new nursery […]