Tonga’s UN ambassador says satellite data is vital for climate and disaster resilience.
His Excellency Ambassador Viliami Va’inga Tōnē participated in the SDG Media Zone panel “Data from Space to Shores: Geospatial Solutions Accelerating Resilience for SIDS” during the during the recent United Nations General Assembly.
He stressed that “for island nations, data is not a luxury but a lifeline,” referencing Tonga’s experience of the 2022 Hunga eruption and tsunami, which produced waves up to 20 metres, and Cyclone Gita in 2018, which caused damages estimated at nearly 40 percent of GDP.
Ambassador Tōnē joined panelists including Dr Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, and Mr Lorant Czaran of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
He highlighted peacetime applications of geospatial tools including guiding the siting of schools and clinics, supporting sustainable fisheries, and monitoring coral health. “Satellites help us warn earlier, respond faster, and build wiser,” he said.
Looking ahead, he called for stronger interoperability across national data systems, adopting “one national map, shared by everyone,” and urged requiring geospatial risk screening for public investments. He also pressed for full “Early Warnings for All” coverage by 2027 and funding for the SIDS Centre of Excellence and the Global Data Hub, key pillars of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.
Tōnē concluded on a regional note saying, “The Pacific is not only vulnerable—it is pioneering. With shared data and shared purpose, we can move from reacting to shocks to designing resilient prosperity, together, from space to our shores.”
In related efforts, Tonga’s Government is engaged in its BRACE (Building Resilience Against Climate and Environmental Shocks) programme.
Meanwhile, a 2025-2032 coastal resilience project co-led with UNDP aims to strengthen adaptation of vulnerable coastal communities.
