To capture the immediate and ongoing effects of the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai submarine volcano, the World Bank carried out phone surveys in partnership with the Governments of…
The World Bank Group’s earlier resilience projects and recent support to Tonga’s emergency response and recovery efforts – including a development policy loan of over US$18M – have been vital in…
Tonga has been concerned about the health implications of a lack of available and affordable fresh fish in local markets. This blog explores three ways to boost food security and foster healthy…
2020 marks 35 years of the World Bank’s partnership with the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific. Find out about the experiences of local staff member Natalia Latu as she shares memories of…
Multiple and overlapping disaster and crises are demonstrating the need for adaptability and flexibility of national disaster risk management (DRM) systems. Here are five ideas to consider when…
The COVID-19 pandemic is devastating lives and livelihoods globally. Before the pandemic, the World Bank projected that 35 million people in East Asia and the Pacific would escape poverty in 2020…
With climate change, extreme events are expected to be the “new normal” for many small island developing states. It will take coordination and action from multiple stakeholders to effectively…
The 2017 Hurricane season was the most devastating season on record in terms of cost. For many, it was a stark reminder of how the entire economy of a small nation can be wiped out in a few hours…
For many Pacific Island countries, natural disasters such as cyclones and tsunamis, are an all-too common occurrence. Out of the top 15 most at-risk countries for natural disasters globally, four…
This blog post was co-authored by Franz Drees-Gross, Director, Transport and ICT Global Practice, and Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Senior Director, Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice.…