Project news
Pacific CIRCLE Program Officially Launched in Tonga
9 October 2026
© TCDT / Kiwa Initiative – Oct 2026
The Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT) officially launched on October 6, the Kiwa Pacific CIRCLE Programme in Tonga at a ceremony held at Ancient Tonga. The event brought together representatives from Government, traditional and community leaders, development partners, participating communities, and the media.
The Kiwa Pacific CIRCLE 3.5 year project will support ecosystem restoration and resilient livelihoods through activities ranging from regeneration of mangroves to sustainable fisheries. The project will be run in partnership with five Pacific-led organisations – Tonga Community Development Trust, ActionAid Vanuatu, Transcend Oceania, Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation, and the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific Kiribati, and led by women’s rights organisation ActionAid Australia and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR).
Under the theme “Empowering Resilience: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Pacific Communities,” the programme will support communities to respond to the impacts of climate change through NbS community leadership, and inclusive approaches.
In Tonga, TCDT is the implementing partner, with EUR 500,458.07 allocated to the Tonga component of the programme. TCDT will work with seven target communities in Tongatapu to strengthen community resilience, protect natural ecosystems and promote practical approaches to climate adaptation.
The launch ceremony opened with a prayer led by Reverend ‘Aisea Vi and included welcoming remarks from the Executive Director of TCDT, in which he stated that, “we name women, young people and people with disabilities on purpose, because their voices are too often heard last. In this program, they will be heard, supported and lead" – Mr. Sione Lanivia Faka’osi
An overview of the programme was delivered by the Project Coordinator, Kalolaine Kavaefiafi. The representative from the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Communications and Climate Change (MEIDECC) confirmed the ongoing support from the Government to the programme.
The Global Network for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) spoke on behalf of the consortium partners, while the Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) provided a community perspective on climate resilience.
Shivangi Chavdaa, Head of Programmes at GNDR, said:
“In Tonga, Pacific CIRCLE is an opportunity to demonstrate how community-led, inclusive nature-based solutions can strengthen climate resilience in practice. GNDR will work with partners to capture the evidence and learning generated through the programme and use it to strengthen local capacities, inform climate change adaptation policies and support the scaling-up of effective, locally led approaches in Tonga and across the Pacific.”
TCDT Board Member, Dr. Leonaitasi Hoponoa, delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of TCDT and the consortium partners.
The launch marks the beginning of the Pacific CIRCLE Programme’s implementation in Tonga. It also provides an opportunity to build greater public understanding and support for community-led climate action, while strengthening partnerships between communities, Government, civil society, and development partners.
About TCDT – The Tonga Community Development Trust (TCDT) is an indigenous, non-governmental development organisation operating in the Kingdom of Tonga.
TCDT focuses on strengthening community capacity, with particular attention to less developed and disadvantaged communities. Its areas of work include Family and Community Health; Rural Water Supply and Sanitation; Sustainable Development; Environmental Conservation; Disaster Preparedness; Women in Development; Human Rights; Good Governance; Civic Education; and Voter Education.
Pacific women leading climate action through Nature-based Solutions
22 July 2026
© Kiwa Initiative
The Kiwa Initiative is pleased to announce the official launch, held on July 20 in Vanuatu in the presence of the French Ambassador, of the Kiwa Pacific CIRCLE regional project across Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Kiribati.
Developed by ActionAid Australia and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), together with Pacific partners, the project will promote locally led solutions such as ecosystem restoration, sustainable fisheries and climate-resilient agriculture, while strengthening inclusive leadership and community resilience.
Download the media release to learn more about the project, its objectives and the partners involved:
Theme
co-benefits
-
Project namePacific CIRCLE: Pacific Community Inclusion for Resilient Climate and Ecosystems
-
Project LeadActionAid Australia
-
Project Startest. May 2026
-
Estimated termSeptember 2029
-
Amount of funding€4,810,000
Project locations
Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to their geographical positioning and economic reliance on agriculture and fishing. Rising sea levels, ocean heating, widespread and intense climate-related disasters have significantly disrupted ecosystems and livelihoods. These challenges are further exacerbated for vulnerable groups, particularly women, young people and people with disabilities (PWDs).
The project will address these challenges by empowering communities in these four countries, particularly women, young people and PWDs, to lead in protecting and restoring ecosystems through Nature-Based Solutions. The project adapts a locally-led community-driven model that integrates sustainable agricultural practices, coastal restoration, and biodiversity conservation methods to enhance adaptive capacity, resilience and reduce the impacts of climate change in the long term.
Objectives of the project
The project objective is to empower rural and coastal communities in Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu, with a focus on women, young people and people with disabilities, to lead efforts in protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing ecosystems using Nature-based Solutions to enhance climate resilience.
To achieve this objective, the project will:
- Strengthen the capacity of women, young people and people with disabilities to lead climate change adaptation strategies in their communities.
- Ensure that inclusive community collectives lead the protection and restoration of ecosystems in the Pacific.
- Enable women, young people and people with disabilities to influence gender and disability-inclusive climate policies that enhance climate resilience and promote NbS.
Social inclusion and gender equity
The project advances gender equity and social inclusion through six interconnected commitments:
- Women's Economic Empowerment: Expanding access to productive resources, markets, and skills training in sustainable agriculture and fisheries. This includes women-led seed banks, value-added initiatives (such as taro chip production alongside taro cultivation), and pandanus weaving to diversify income streams and reduce economic vulnerability.
- Inclusive Livelihoods: Ensuring people with disabilities have meaningful, accessible, and low-cost roles in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) activities, including nursery management, beekeeping, aquaculture, and community gardening.
- Food and Water Security: Restoring coastal and marine ecosystems (mangroves, coastal trees, and coral reefs) and rainwater harvesting systems to strengthen household food and water security, reduce burdens on women and girls, and address stressors linked to gender-based violence.
- Women's Leadership and Governance: Embedding women's voices in resource management, fisheries governance, and community planning from local decision-making through to national policy and programs.
- Safe and Inclusive Community Spaces: Establishing community gardens that bring together nutrition support, social connection, and access to services with a particular focus on women, women with disabilities, and children.
- Indigenous and Customary Governance: Integrating local knowledge and cultural practices into all interventions to ensure community ownership and equitable outcomes.
