6 Years On: Improving District-Level Disaster Preparedness in Tonga

When the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami happened, Lavinia was in the US. Far from Tonga, she found emotional support with fellow overseas Tongan alumni Sandy Siutiti Tuipulotu and Simata-e-la'ā Palu, both of whom were in Japan. The three of them planned what they could do to help their families and friends in Tonga from afar.

Some of them were just so unprepared...even those who are making decisions for disaster events are also unprepared.” —Lavinia Taumoepeau-Latu, disaster management professional and UNITAR alumna (Tonga)

When asked about what else UNITAR could do, Lavinia pointed to empowering youth. Tonga has a relatively young population, with more than one third of the population defined as youth. She recalls how dropouts and crime rates increased among youth after their everyday lives were disrupted by the 2018 Cyclone Gita. Preparing young people to be more resilient and more engaged in disaster risk reduction and providing them with timely psychosocial support are a priority when it comes to post-disaster recovery. “I think a UNITAR youth programme would be an amazing way to connect the youth”, she says.

The enduring impact of the UNITAR training programme is evident in Lavinia’s journey. UNITAR looks forward to supporting more leaders like Lavinia so they can drive lasting improvements in government policies and lay the groundwork for effective disaster risk reduction.