17th August, 2022 Tonga’s Prime Minister, the Honorable Hu’akavameiliku will open the Kingdom’s Inaugural Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Convention on 17-18 August 2022. Clean, reliable, safe water supply and good sanitation is the cornerstone of a healthy, thriving and prosperous community. The Convention marks the first national conference on the critical importance of water, sanitation and hygiene to public health and development.
Over two days, more than 40 participants will attend from government Ministries representing keys sectors including; Health, Utilities, Finance, Education, Climate Change, Women and Gender, Internal Affairs, Lands and Natural Resources, Tourism, Infrastructure and Fisheries. Government Ministries will be joined by prominent non-government organizations representing family health, charitable and faith-based organisations and representatives from international donor agencies.
The Convention, held at Fa’onelua Convention Centre, is bringing together all WASH sector actors to present current WASH issues, discuss options to coordinate initiatives, improve sector collaboration and unite under a common vision of improved water and sanitation for Tonga. The objectives are to:
- Map emergency response, recovery and long-term WASH activities in Tonga;
- Identify specific issues that require management to address challenges in WASH, water resources management, water quality and risks;
- Make recommendations for future actions and identify the roles and contributions of different actors (including government, civil society, donors and media).
Tonga’s vulnerability to extreme climate events is well-documented and the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic explosion in January 2022, has further demonstrated community exposure to disrupted clean water supply. Resilient water and sanitation infrastructure is essential to support the Kingdom’s recovery and safeguard public health. There is an urgency to review and reassess the resilience of the Kingdom’s WASH sector to protect the community against water and sanitation-related diseases.
The Convention Program agenda includes a diverse range of topics, with discussions aimed towards action-oriented recommendations. The Convention agenda includes to;
- Scope and prioritise WASH sector investment including international donor projects
- Review options to improve WASH sector coordination
- Review WASH data for urban and rural communities and clarify targets and monitoring
- Assess the status of onsite sanitation systems and opportunities to improve management
- Opportunities to improve rural water supply and the role of water utilities to support community management.
The WASH Convention proceedings will be captured and published and will include recommendations discussed and approved by participants to develop a strong resilient water and sanitation sector to measure, manage and coordinate future WASH initiatives.
The WASH Convention is the initiative of the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga and is supported by the Asian Development Bank.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Ana Aka, Consultant, ADB Strengthening WASH Practices in the Pacific Technical Assistance (TA 6551); E: saane.ake@gmail.com; Ph: 7751973