Tonga Disaster Risk Financing Strategy 2021-2025
Tonga is a Polynesian Pacific Island country with a population of 104,000. The Tongan archipelago comprises 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. Because of its location and small size, Tonga and its population are highly vulnerable to external shocks, including from natural disasters and epidemics, and to climate change and its long-term effects, such as sea-level rise and increasing intensity of tropical storms. Tonga’s vulnerability was clearly demonstrated in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and Tropical Cyclone Harold severely affected its economy.
