In a major step toward climate resilience and evidence-based national planning, the Kingdom of Tonga is set to become one of the very few Pacific Island Countries with comprehensive national Lidar coverage in 2026. This milestone will be delivered through the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project (TCRP), funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Government of Tonga.
UNDP is working in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC) to strengthen Tonga’s capacity to collect, manage, analyse, interpret and apply coastal and climate risk data. In this context, Tonga is establishing its first complete national Lidar baseline to support coastal risk modelling, sea-level rise projections, disaster preparedness, infrastructure planning and long-term climate adaptation. As part of this effort, a Lidar coastal mapping survey was conducted over Tongatapu and Ha’apai island group from 21 March to 18 April 2026.
Knowledge transfer and technical collaboration
The Lidar survey was conducted by Fugro, an international geodata specialist agency with extensive expertise in aerial and maritime mapping. During implementation, SPC and Fugro technical teams worked closely alongside the Mapping and Surveying Division within the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Planning and Natural Resources (MLSNPR) to ensure knowledge transfer and technical collaboration. Other key implementing ministries participating in the coordination included the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) and the Ministry of Infrastructure (MOI).
The data collected in the Lidar survey will support the development of scenario-based coastal risk maps and knowledge products that enable evidence-based adaptation planning. Beyond data acquisition, the initiative reinforces national ownership of climate information systems and builds long-term technical capacity within government institutions.
Officials from UNDP, SPC, Fugro and the Ministry of Infrastructure during preparatory coordination meetings ahead of Tonga’s 2026 national Lidar survey.)
Building on Tonga’s Lidar legacy
Tonga has previously undertaken Lidar surveys through various development initiatives:
- 2012 survey: Funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Program (PACCSAP), covering Tongatapu, Lifuka and Foa.
- 2021 survey: Funded by the World Bank under the Pacific Resilience Program (PREP), covering ‘Eua, Vava’u, Tafahi and Niuatoputapu.
- 2026 survey: Funded by the Green Climate Fund through the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project, covering Tongatapu and the Ha’apai Islands to complete national coverage.
The 2026 survey will integrate existing datasets to establish Tonga’s first complete unified national Lidar coverage. This represents a significant advancement in strengthening Tonga’s climate resilience. High-resolution evaluation data will enable more precise flood and coastal inundation modelling, safer infrastructure design, strengthened coastal zone management, and informed long-term adaptation to sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
By investing in robust geospatial data systems and national technical capacity, Tonga is strengthening the foundations for climate-informed decision-making that will protect communities, infrastructure and ecosystems for generations to come.
The island of Tongatapu and the nearby smaller islands – all part of the Kingdom of Tonga archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean – pictured in this Sentinel-2A image. (Image courtesy: ESA)
