Agriculture dominates Tonga’s economy

Agriculture is the dominant economic activity in Tonga.

This has been confirmed by a report put together by the United Nations Development Programme, titled the ‘Economic Impacts of Natural Hazards on Vulnerable Populations in Tonga’.

The report stated that the activity is carried out mostly on a subsistence basis and is particularly vulnerable to cyclone damage, severely affecting the poorest and the most vulnerable in the population.

The report also stated that climate change is expected to adversely affect agriculture and fisheries through increased frequency of extreme weather, sea level rise and disruption of aquatic ecosystems. 

Speaking at the launch in Fiji yesterday, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, Jonathan Curr said Tonga also suffered from Tropical Cyclone Harold.

“In April this year, Tropical Cyclone Harold devastated parts of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and finally Tonga, all amidst a global pandemic that made all Pacific countries shut their borders; consequently, a ‘double whammy’ for their economies.”

“New Zealand, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is pleased to support this initiative as  it fully aligns with New Zealand’s “climate action” agenda as well as its focus on disaster risk reduction in the Pacific to address vulnerabilities of low-income populations.”

The report was launched under the new ‘Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era- Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation’ Programme.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, Prime Minister Ardern announced that New Zealand would spend at least $300 million on climate change development assistance from 2019 to 2022.