Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption 2022 – Household food security and agriculture

Book excerpt: The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HT-HH) undersea volcano in the Kingdom of Tonga erupted on 15 January 2022 at 17.10 hours local time in a blast that was felt across the world. As a result of the eruption, the Government of Tonga declared a state of emergency on 16 January 2022. The eruption resulted in two events with potential impacts on agriculture livelihoods and all agriculture sub-sectors (crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture and forestry): a volcanic ash cloud and a tsunami. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Ministry of Fisheries, together with FAO, conducted a Volcano Eruption Household Impact Survey. Data collection was facilitated by Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation (MORDI) Tonga Trust, a national partner for project implementation. The household survey was conducted in the three most impacted divisions – ‘Eua, Ha’apai and Tongatapu. A total of 854 households were interviewed across the three divisions. The data collection process was challenged by various issues, including movement restrictions due to COVID-19 lockdown. This impact report outlines the findings of the survey and proposes medium- and long-term recommendations.