Tonga : Tropical Cyclone Harold Emergency Response Project

Sovereign Project | 54238-001

Tropical cyclone (TC) Harold, a category 4 cyclone, entered Tongan waters on 9 April 2020 with sustained winds of more than 150km per hour. The cyclone produced a massive storm surge which coincided with a king tide, causing extensive flooding on the main island of Tongatapu as well as the Eua group of islands. It is estimated that 7,980 people (10% of households, or about 1,400 households, on Tongatapu and Eua) have been severely impacted and are in need of urgent assistance. Affected households have suffered damage to their homes with significant concerns about access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. Heavy damage to public infrastructure, particularly wharves, coastal roads, and power supply are recorded. The impact on food security and livelihoods as a result of loss of household food stores, damage to root crops and fruit trees is significant and will require an immediate and targeted response.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Olsson, Sivou Beatrice
    Pacific Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Tonga
  • Sector
    • Public sector management
Project Name Tropical Cyclone Harold Emergency Response Project
Project Number 54238-001
Country / Economy Tonga
Project Status Closed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Grant
Source of Funding / Amount
Grant 0698-TON: Tropical Cyclone Harold Emergency Response Project
Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund US$ 200,000.00
Operational Priorities OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
Sector / Subsector

Public sector management / Public expenditure and fiscal management
Gender No gender elements
Description Tropical cyclone (TC) Harold, a category 4 cyclone, entered Tongan waters on 9 April 2020 with sustained winds of more than 150km per hour. The cyclone produced a massive storm surge which coincided with a king tide, causing extensive flooding on the main island of Tongatapu as well as the Eua group of islands. It is estimated that 7,980 people (10% of households, or about 1,400 households, on Tongatapu and Eua) have been severely impacted and are in need of urgent assistance. Affected households have suffered damage to their homes with significant concerns about access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. Heavy damage to public infrastructure, particularly wharves, coastal roads, and power supply are recorded. The impact on food security and livelihoods as a result of loss of household food stores, damage to root crops and fruit trees is significant and will require an immediate and targeted response.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The damage caused by TC Harold is of a scale beyond the government's resources capacity to restore life-sustaining services to the affected population in a reasonable time. There is also a concern that the impacts of TC Harold will be compounded by socio-economic pressures on Tongan families caused by the global COVID-19 economic shocks. The return to daily life will be slow and an additional burden on households, requiring extra expenditures at a time when incomes have been lost or reduced due to the effect of COVID-19 on Tonga's economy. The impact of TC Harold will have significant long-term social, psychological, and economic impacts on the affected population, which is highly reliant on subsistence farming for food security and livelihoods.
Impact
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome
Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs
Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)
Geographical Location Nation-wide
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Responsible ADB Officer Olsson, Sivou Beatrice
Responsible ADB Department Pacific Department
Responsible ADB Division Pacific Subregional Office in Suva, Fiji
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Finance
Timetable
Concept Clearance -
Fact Finding 29 Apr 2020 to 29 Apr 2020
MRM 11 Jun 2020
Approval 30 Apr 2020
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 04 May 2020

Grant 0698-TON

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
30 Apr 2020 12 May 2020 12 May 2020 12 Nov 2020 - 03 Jun 2021
Financing Plan Grant Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 0.20 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 0.20 17 Jun 2022 0.20 0.00 100%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 17 Jun 2022 0.20 0.00 100%

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