LocationsFrom Classrooms to Coastlines: Department of Environment and R2R Partner for World Environment Day Action in Tonga
June 9, 2026
Students planting mangroves in Popua, young people learning about climate action in classrooms, and communities coming together to clean Tonga's coastlines were among the activities marking World Environment Day 2026 across Tongatapu.
Led by Tonga's Department of Environment and supported by the Tonga Ridge to Reef Phase II (R2R) Project, the week-long programme brought together schools, civil society organisations, youth groups and environmental partners through a series of practical and youth-focused activities designed to promote environmental stewardship, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
Under the national call, “Call for Climate Action – No Delay, Act Today!” and the global World Environment Day theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” the activities highlighted one clear message: protecting Tonga’s environment begins with awareness, but it must lead to action.
Throughout the week, the Department of Environment led school awareness visits across Tongatapu, with R2R supporting the broader effort to engage young people in climate action, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. The school visits reached Government Middle Schools in Nukuʻalofa, Halaʻovave, Fanga ʻo Pilolevu, Fatai, Pea and Haveluloto, as well as Alonga Centre and Lavengamalie Christian Elementary School.
Students learned about the importance of caring for Tonga’s land, ocean, coastal ecosystems and natural resources. By bringing environmental messages into schools, the Department of Environment and R2R helped connect young people to the national responsibility of protecting Tonga’s future.
Apifoou Colleage Students planting trees.
On the morning of 5 June, the Department of Environment, R2R and partners joined the World Environment Day beach clean-up. This practical action reinforced the importance of keeping Tonga’s coastlines clean and protecting the ocean from pollution. It also showed that climate and environmental action can begin with simple, visible steps taken together by government, partners, communities and young people.
Following the beach clean-up, R2R continued the day’s programme through a mangrove awareness and restoration activity with ʻApifoʻou College. The initiative was implemented in partnership with the Department of Environment, Coastal Green Nursery, Tonga Citizen Science Initiative, Civil Society Forum of Tonga, Tonga National Youth Congress, and Langafonua ʻa Fafine Tonga (National Council of Women) — bringing together civil society organisations, including UNDP LVG grantees, to support youth-led and community-based environmental action.
At ʻApifoʻou College, students participated in a mangrove education and awareness session that explored the importance of mangroves in Tonga, including their ecological value, their role in protecting coastlines, supporting biodiversity, sustaining fisheries, strengthening livelihoods and building climate resilience. Students also learned about the pressures affecting mangroves and the need for long-term conservation and restoration efforts.
Following the training, students and partners travelled to the Popua mangrove area for hands-on mangrove tree planting and restoration. This field activity allowed students to move from classroom learning to practical environmental action. By planting mangroves, they contributed directly to Tonga’s wider effort to restore coastal ecosystems and strengthen resilience from ridge to reef.
For Tonga, mangroves are more than trees along the shoreline. They are living coastal infrastructure. They help reduce erosion, protect communities from storm surges, provide habitat for marine life, support fisheries and strengthen the health of lagoon and reef systems. Restoring mangroves is therefore both an environmental conservation action and a practical climate adaptation measure.
The partnership with Coastal Green Nursery brought practical restoration knowledge and local nursery expertise to the activity. The involvement of Tonga Citizen Science Initiative, Civil Society Forum of Tonga, Tonga National Youth Congress and Langafonua ʻa Fafine Tonga (National Council of Women) reinforced the important role of civil society, youth leadership, women’s leadership, community-based monitoring and local stewardship in protecting Tonga’s natural environment.
Together, the activities demonstrated how government, schools, civil society organizations, technical partners and young people can work together to protect biodiversity and strengthen resilience. From school visits to beach clean-ups, from classroom training to mangrove planting, the Department of Environment and R2R partnership demonstrated a practical model for youth engagement, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
The World Environment Day activities also reflected the core approach of the Tonga Ridge to Reef Phase II Project: integrated land, coastal and marine ecosystem management that connects people, biodiversity and climate action. Protecting Tonga’s future requires coordinated action across these interconnected ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Through the leadership of the Department of Environment, the support of R2R, the energy of schools, and the contribution of civil society and technical partners, Tonga continues to build environmental and nurture a new generation of environmental stewards committed to protecting the country’s natural heritage for generations to come.
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