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The Kingdom of Tonga is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change impacting their agricultural sector. As John Pulu reports, they’re getting a helping hand from the insect world.
Honey bees could be Tonga’s answer to ongoing food security.
“Bees are very important in terms of pollination particularly the types of crops that we grow and export here in Tonga, which is squash and the watermelon both of those crops need to be pollinated by bees,” says Debra Allan, a beekeeper on the main island, Tongatapu.
OhaiTonga is an NGO based on the main island of Tonga.
They created a buzz in 2020 when locals were trained as beekeepers, part of the plan to ensure the island kingdom bounces back quickly after natural disasters like cyclones which impacts severely on the insect population.
“If we didn’t have bees we couldn’t survive, nature and humans can’t survive without bees which is why we should look after them,” Allan says.
Looking after them so they can look after us has been Uili Lousī’s mission since he founded Ohai Tonga back in 2018.
“The weather pattern has been changing dramatically so talking about the impact of the climate change in Tonga, let’s talk about the heat wave first and also the disruptions for us as humans,” Lousī says.
He says air temperature and sea-level rises over recent decades has had a detrimental effect on the region. Add to that last year’s devastating Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami and the impact is huge.
“I love being out in the ocean especially for the fresh air but also seeing the deterioration as well and that’s quite huge, especially after the tsunami on the west side.”
Since 2014 Uili has taken the climate story of Tonga to the world, speaking at high level meetings to gain support.
“What we are doing at the moment is asking the world to come in partnership with the kingdom of Tonga to give us the finances in order for us to mitigate the actual problem with carbon emission.”
Back on the western side of Tonga’s main island, the village of Kanokupolu has collaborated with the government to create a sea wall to protect against rising sea levels.
And while locals are doing what they can to combat climate change, Ohai Tonga continues to do its part for the kingdom.
