Lessons from Local Initiatives on Ecosystem-Based Climate Change Work in Tonga

Many small island communities face growing disaster-related challenges, including climate change. Using the case study of Tonga, a review of project activities by national and local NGOs was completed to better understand what locals seek to change through local initiatives. The main focus of the review was on community-based and ecosystem-based approaches. The Tongans’ responses emphasized changes to simple, day-to-day measures and management decisions that make a big difference in operations. Examples are teaching people not to throw trash into mangroves and streamlining funding, so that community partners do not get tired of waiting for support. Access to scientific information and professional training were also highlighted, while recognizing that people in communities can sometimes be as much a hindrance to ecosystem-based management as external factors such as climate change. Additionally, subtle distinctions between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, as well as between ecosystem-based and community-based initiatives, made little difference on the ground. The communities’ interest is primarily to achieve secure livelihoods that would give them appropriate income, within the context of the various challenges that they face. Such results are neither surprising nor complicated, yet the suggestions are rarely mentioned explicitly to donors and policymakers