New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta travelled to Nuku’alofa to launch the Aotearoa New Zealand International Climate Finance Strategy, Tuia te Waka a Kiwa, and announce the first investment in Tonga from the climate fund.
This trip comes after announcing $500,000 for climate resilience funding in Niue.
“The International Climate Finance Strategy spells out how Aotearoa New Zealand will put its investments to work in practical terms, to support Pacific partners and whānau to build resilience and deal with the number one security threat in the region,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
The strategy has four key goals: enhance resilience and adaptation, promote quicker action on mitigation; improve information to allow evidence-based decisions; and leverage investments to make greater impact.
The strategy sets out how the funding will be deployed but will ensure assistance provided helps communities build climate resilience in the ways that work best for them.
Tonga has received $8m as part of the strategy for their Climate Change Fund with investments being identified and prioritised by Tonga. Possible investments of the fund include:
- strengthening the resilience of public infrastructure, such as water resources, flood management and climate resilient transport systems;
- enhancing coastal protection around Nuku’alofa and outer islands;
- reducing reliance on fossil fuels and strengthening the resilience of Tonga’s renewable energy infrastructure;
- building community resilience to natural disasters;
- providing opportunities for communities to access climate resilience funding; and
- developing sustainable agriculture and fisheries, and protection for biodiversity in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Tonga Broadcasting Commission, in conjunction with PasifikaTV, provided a live feed of the event and the whole press conference can be viewed here:
