Championing Disaster Resilience in Tonga

In 2017, Luisa – still new to the disaster management field – joined the second cycle of the UNITAR Women’s Leadership in Tsunami-based Disaster Risk Reduction Training Programme. Since 2016, the programme has been implemented with the support of the Government of Japan, to empower women from small island states to enhance their skills in disaster preparedness and management in their countries.

33 women from small island nations in the Pacific visited Japan to learn from the country’s experiences from disasters including the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Through classroom learning and field visits, the programme offered participants a comprehensive view of disaster management.

Visiting tsunami-affected areas, interacting with local heroes and hearing their stories brought the realities of disaster to life for Luisa. She especially recalls her visit to Okawa Primary School, which had been devastated by the 2011 tsunami.

I was one of the most talkative people in that cohort. [But] the first site visit, we went to the school where about 70 plus percent of the students didn’t make it. And from that day on, I couldn't make the site visits. I would just sit in the bus and wait until everybody comes back, because I [was] thinking about where I was deployed.” − Luisa Taunga

As a disaster risk management officer in Tonga, Luisa had at the time been assigned to the remote islands of Ha’apai. Luisa describes the islands as “very flat, as a pancake”. The remote geography and terrain of Tonga makes it highly vulnerable to disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. Indeed, the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami affected more than 80 per cent of the Tongan population. The country’s geographical remoteness, limited resources and infrastructure make it difficult for the government to ensure that remote islands receive timely assistance and support during emergencies.