SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS WATER CATCHMENTS OF ALLEVIATING LULUNGA DISTRICT, HA’APAI, THE POOR (SLAP)

INCORPORATED

LULUNGA DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY REPORT

‘Ana ‘Ake

SLAP INCORPORATED ©

2014

Sustainable Livelihoods Alleviating the Poor (SLAP) Inc.

An online society set up to aid rural isolated communities in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Ata Rd Kolomotu’a Ph: (676) 774-5208 Email: [email protected]

In association with

Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation Tonga Trust, Hala Olovaha, Fanga-‘o-Pilolevu, (P.O. Box 996) Nuku’alofa, KINGDOM OF TONGA

Phone: (676) 24 354 Fax: (676) 24 354 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.morditonga.to/ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The issue at hand, is that there is a shortage of water, and water storage facilities. The people of the outer islands of Ha’apai lack the capacity to solve this problem on their own. This report includes information on how this has come about. There is an average of 34 households per community or an average five people per household. These 1 055 people require at minimum, 20L of water for daily use according to the World Health Organization. That is 21 100L of sanitary water daily or 7 701 500L of water annually and that is at minimum consumption. To get that amount of water stored in various types of water tanks – cement, plastic, fiberglass or aluminum; there has to be a minimum of at least 90mm of monthly rainfall and not below. Anything below 90mm of monthly rainfall will not provide enough water for the minimal daily consumption of 20L per person. The Lulunga District is made up for six inhabited islands in the Ha’apai group of the Kingdom of Tonga. These islands are low lying atolls with the exception of Fotuha’a which is a raised limestone island elevated at about 20m above sea level. These six atolls rely entirely on rainwater harvesting for their consumption and basic water needs.

There are currently enough water tanks to harvest minimal water for consumption and sanitary usage but beyond that, there is no surplus water. To have enough water to cater for consumption, sanitation and other usage, there is a need to increase the number of water tanks. There are only two islands with access to underground water lenses but even that water has its limitations. With the onslaught of climate change, underground boreholes have been abandoned due to the high salinity of the wells. Lulunga communities now have an increasing dependency on rainwater harvesting. However, the islands have experiences weather pattern disruptions from the la nina and el nino heat waves. The wet and dry seasons are thrown out of sync, and heavy rains and prolonged droughts become a problem.

Water shortage needs to be addressed as it can be the cause of major health and environmental problems. Prolonged storage of water in untreated water tanks also becomes a breeding ground for insects and vermin; drastically affecting human health. The cement tanks from the 70s and 80s often sit in the communities without cleaning, collecting silt and dirt at the bottom of the tank. Over the years, water tanks have innovatively changed from cement to aluminum to fiberglass and now to plastic but prolonged water storage needs to be treated and that is an area that has not been introduced to the outer island communities.

Renewed roofing, guttering and pipes are most needed especially since these outer islands are currently living in hurricane relief homes. Without help from donors, their water supply will remain as it has – scarce and unsafe. Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 3 INTRODUCTION ...... 5 MAP OF TONGA ...... 6 MAP OF HA’APAI ...... 7 LULUNGA DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY ...... 8 CONCLUSION ...... 14

INTRODUCTION

The Lulunga District comprises of six small atolls located in the Ha’apai chain of islands. Ha’apai lies north of the main island of Tongatapu. These islands are located in a district known as the Lulunga District which is located south of the urban center of the Ha’apai capital of Pangai. Haʻapai consists of a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals with an area of 109.30 square kilometres (42.20 sq mi) in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavaʻu group to the north. Its highest point is Kao at almost 1,050 metres (3,440 ft). Pangai is the administrative capital village of the Haʻapai Group and is located on Lifuka. Haʻapai consists of 51 islands directly west of the Tonga Trench, constituting a chain of volcanic islands including Kao, the highest point in the kingdom standing at 1,046 metres (3,432 ft). Further to the west are the coral islands which are inhabited. The archipelago lies 204 kilometres (127 mi) north of Tongatapu and 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of Vava'u. 17 of the islands are inhabited, including the main islands of Lifuka and Foa. The two main villages in the archipelago are Pangai on Lifuka (where Salote Pilolevu Airport is located) and Ha'ano. A total of 6 616 people live on the Ha'apai islands (Census 2011). The Lulunga District is made up of six islands – Ha’afeva the main hub; Matuku, Kotu, Fotuha’a, Tungua and ‘O’ua.

There is limited infrastructure in the Lulunga island group. Ha’afeva is the only main island with electricity. The other islands are without electricity or running water, but have access to the TCC mobile network. Income for these islanders is from agriculture and/or fishing. However, like much of Tonga, the largest source of income is remittances from family members living abroad. Vessels with good reception VHF will sometimes pick up the Vava'u VHF 26 NET. Much of the history of the Ha'apai parallels that of all of Tonga, but the Ha'apai also has a remarkable maritime history. The maritime history of the Ha'apai includes the well-known explorers Captains Tasman, Cook, and Bligh. It also includes the lesser known, but equally interesting, . The recognition of these mariners is found throughout the Ha'apai group, especially in the administrative center of Pangai.

Ha’apai is governed by the Governor Lord Tu’iha’angana. They have two seats in Parliament and is currently being held by ‘Uliti Uata and Mo’ale Finau. Some of the villages are under the estate title of chiefs while others belong to His Majesty the King. The total population of 6 616 holds a total of 1 266 total of households; 1 258 private households and 8 institutions. 6% of the entire Tongan population live in the Ha’apai group and of that; 16% of those in Ha’apai live in the Lulunga District with a total population of 1 055 people or 204 households. The majority of the population are aged <1-18 and 9 year olds and seem to hold the highest number in the population. The population change from the 2006 census indicates -2.7% in the population which is a decline in 954 people (indicating a migratory increase).

MAP OF TONGA

MAP OF HA’APAI

LULUNGA DISTRICT

LULUNGA DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY Water in the Lulunga District is harvested whenever it rains from the rainwater that falls onto the roof and into the water gutters. They are then drained into various water tanks for storage and consumption. In November 2013, a team of field surveyors comprised of staff from SLAP Inc and the Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation (MORDI) Tonga Trust set out to collect water data from the six islands in the Lulunga District. The method used for the survey was tallying all functional water tanks within each household and institution (which were mostly religious institutions and Government Primary Schools) to count the overall number of water tanks available and currently collecting water during rainfall.

To calculate the amount of water that each tank could hold, the team adopted the general depth x height x length / 1 000. Often, the work was made easier for us by the companies who made the tanks by writing the volume capacity on the side of the tanks. To measure the amount of water each roof and gutter could harvest, the team employed the general calculation of L x W = catchment area (m2). Then based upon past years annual rainfall calculations, two calculations were used. One was for the wet season which used the average rainfall data for the wet season and average rainfall data for the dry season coming up with an average of 149mm and 90mm as minimum rainfall according to the Tonga Meteorological Center (refer to the table below).

Table 1: Average rainfall for Tongatapu recorded in 2012 and used for the calculations.

It is important to note that the graph above depicts Nuku’alofa rainfall and not Ha’apai rainfall as the rainfall in Ha’apai has not been recorded since 2010. According to the Tonga Met Office, the rain gauge broke and has not been replaced. The locals in Lulunga stated that they have not had any rain since June 2013 and our visit was in November, making it five months without rain. What little they collected in their current water tanks carried them for those five months and many water tanks were empty. The only water tanks that still held water were those of the local churches as they had bigger tanks and longer gutters. The LDS church especially held a lot of water with larger cement tanks that held about 48 000L of rainwater at maximum capacity. It is also critical to consider the amount of time the water had been sitting in the tanks as the buildup of bacteria, waterborne diseases, and insects also contribute to the health hazard of the community. Risks from water borne illnesses such as diarrhea and dengue are the most common among the communities let alone tuberculosis and typhoid.

Table 2: Lulunga District population from the Tongan Government Census of 2011.

When water is scarce insects and rodents often contaminate the water supply but is not often noticed until too late. The only alternative source of water is from underground lenses but most have been abandoned due to high salinity content, or used only for laundry and sanitary usage. There are only two islands that have access to tap water supply and that is the main hub of Ha’afeva and the island of Kotu. However, that water supply is pumped from underground and distributed without further treatment. The only other clean water supply is bottled filtered water from China or locally produced. That is available at the only store in the District which is located in Ha’afeva. However, with the mean average income at TOP$50.00 per week, buying bottled water is a luxury not all can afford.

Table 3 shows the amount of water that is available in each of the six islands of the Lulunga District at the mean annual rainfall and at the minimum level based on the 2012 rainfall gauged at Nuku’alofa. Table 4 outlines the total number of water tanks available at each island and the type of water tanks used to store water.

Island Annual rainfall Minimum Rainfall Required L per person (20L X 365 days) Ha’afeva 309 755.6 199 128.6 1 905 300 Matuku 178 014.2 114 437.7 795 700 Kotu 182 508.2 117 326.7 1 299 400 Fotuha’a 143 806.6 88 667.1 956 300 Tungua 341 140.8 198 244.8 1 693 600 ‘O’ua 283 348.8 114 437.7 1 051 200

Table 3. Water harvested annually and at minimum rainfall and the WHO required 20L per person on a daily basis calculated by the surveying team based on the roofing calculations and water tank measurements conducted by the field team.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each person requires 20L of water daily for drinking and sanitation. It is obvious from the above table that the amount of water collected (population x 20L) is not enough to meet minimum individual daily water requirement. This increases health risks of the population and the environment that they are in. There is a great need to provide enough water storage units and water harvesting equipment in order to meet the water needs of these islands. Not only is there a need to increase water storage facilities, there is a need to ensure that those water storage facilities store sanitary water that is safe for consumption and safe from rodents, and insects. From the field survey it was clear that most of the water tanks have deteriorated over the years and have broken vital parts such as the pipes due to frequent usage and livestock damage.

Rusted corrugated roofs also contribute to the unsanitary water harvest. But due to the high cost of roofing material and prolonged exposure to the salt water, there is not much that can be done. Water is the most basic necessity required by any form of life and is the foundation of all living beings. Without it, these communities will continue to suffer unnecessarily because they can no longer rely on the traditional calendar to bring forth rainwater for harvesting on time. Small children and the elderly suffer the most because they do not have a choice and in times of prolonged drought, health risks rise. In small communities like Lulunga District, once there is an outbreak or epidemic, it affects the entire population. Risk resilience should start with the water supply so as to ensure a healthy community that could sustain itself.

As climate change rolls out the high temperatures and heavy rainfall, there are more intense cyclones. They are damaging houses, water tanks and gutter, and the water supply of the Lulunga District suffers a major blow that they cannot afford. An example of this was the prolonged drought of six months from Jun – Dec 2013. For the residents of Haʻapai the first bout of water after this was through a cyclone. Obviously there was no water collected then, and damages to gutters and roofs have to be addressed before rainwater harvest continues. Purchasing these new materials and fixing them are carried out by the individuals of the community. This is because seeking donor and government funding requires paperwork. At times, this cannot be done easily, as most members of the community hardly have any secondary education. The only NGO that works closely with this District is Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation Tonga Trust (MORDI TT). They have funded income generating projects to enable the rural poor to generate an income in support of their livelihoods. AusAid has also been the most significant donor of water tanks in this District but as shown in Table 2, there is still a lot of water needed by the communities. Still, these efforts are not enough to combat the water shortage. These people are too poor to fend for themselves based on their current economic status. They have children to educate and feed and homes to protect from the wind and surf. Their homes are eroding daily and the fish that used to be abundant is no longer so. Without help from the outside, these communities will continue to struggle alone, with their daily water needs.

Island Capacity Type Total Ha’afeva 5000 Rotomold Plastic 10 22000 Sam’s Fibreglass 5 23000 Cement 12 34000 Cement 2 35000 Cement 30 58000 Cement 1 96000 Cement 2 134000 Cement 1 63 Matuku 5000 Rotomold Plastic 9 10000 Rotomold Plastic 7 22000 Sam’s Fibreglass 2 26000 Cement 19 33000 Cement 1 89000 Cement 1 71000 Cement 1 40 Kotu 4000 Cement 1 5000 Rotomold Plastic 6 10000 Rotomold Plastic 3 11000 Cement 1 13000 Cement 1 22000 Sam’s Fibreglass 18 27000 Cement 9 29000 Cement 1 38000 Cement 1 42000 Cement 1 42 Fotuha'a 5000 Rotomold Plastic 7 10000 Rotomold Plastic 4 17000 Cement 3 25000 Cement 20 27000 Cement 4 43000 Cement 2 40 Tungua 5000 Rotomold Plastic 9 16000 Cement 1 19000 Cement 3 22000 Sam’s Fibreglass 5 25000 Cement 1 35000 Cement 42 49000 Cement 1 96000 Cement 2 98000 Cement 1 65 ‘O'ua 5000 Rotomold Plastic 15 8200 Cement 1 13000 Cement 3 19000 Cement 11 22000 Sam’s Fibreglass 2 Table 4: Water tank capacity, type and total per island. 23000 Cement 2 25000 Cement 1 26000 Cement 26 43000 Cement 2 51000 Cement 1 61000 Cement 1 65

Fetching water from this cement tank that with corrugated iron roofing that harvests water into the tanks then manually collected using this bucket by this youth and elderly man. Water is then stored in these aluminum drums for individual consumption. Both the roofing that collects the water and the drums for storage are rusty. This water is used for cooking, washing, bathing and livestock drinking. CONCLUSION Much of the water issues can be resolved through different phases and projects. These include increasing water storage facilities; renewing and renovating roof gutters; replacing rusted roofs and getting treatment for the water supplies of Kotu and Ha’afeva. As shown by the communities in their Community Development Plans (CDP) (that were formulated as a guideline for development by MORDI TT), their main problem was the water supply and the lack thereof. Upgrading the water supply and keeping it at a sanitary standard will require both financing and time. Taking one step a time and through several phases, providing sanitary drinking water for the Lulunga District can become a reality.

Healthier communities will become more active in sustaining their livelihoods when they are not exposed to preventable and non-communicable diseases. The alleviation of the stress caused by water shortage is one of the stepping stones to rural development. Without aid, these communities will never have adequate water to meet the daily needs of every person on the island. They will continue to live in impoverished conditions unless there is outside help.

The most conclusive and disheartening finding of this research was the fact that it had not rained between the months of June to December 2013. What little water was caught within the first six months of the year was used sparingly throughout the rest of the year. What is not evident is the lack of rainfall because rainfall records are based on the rainfall gauges in the main islands and not the outer islands. Adding to the predicament was the fact that the first set of rainfall that the Lulunga District saw after the six month drought came in the form of a cyclone – Ian. Ian destroyed crops and further damaged the already fragile water tanks on the island. This meant that water collection throughout the wet season of November to April saw a hindrance in the water collection as tanks, gutters and roofing were damaged. As a result of hardship, people were unable to recover from the bombardment of the hurricane as they have great difficulty financing repairs to their roof and gutters let alone purchase water tank replacements.

Consequently these series of unfortunate events has led to further complications which include the early water shortage throughout the Ha’apai group as early as June 2014. By the dry season, all water tanks on the islands are empty relying only on the water tanks supplied by the army which is located at the landing of each island providing the only potable water supply for each island. As Tonga is facing an el nino cycle, the chances for rainfall in the Lulunga District remain slim. Most of the tanks that were destroyed by the cyclone and by the drought remain broken so do the gutters and roofing. Before they can start harvesting rainwater, the roof and gutters must be replaced due to their worn state. It is going to cost money, but if the gutters and roofing remain in the dire state they are in, potable water is impossible to collect. The Lulunga District will remain dependent on outside water source until this is solved so in order to alleviate water shortage, new roofing and gutter material must be supplied before the end of Christmas so that they can harvest the New Year rain and collect enough water throughout the wet season to last into the dry season. New roofing and guttering will also need to be weather proofed to withstand the harsh cyclones ahead.

Religious halls have proven to be the largest infrastructures within the district and serves both as a disaster relief shelter for the population and a lifeline water supplier. The largest water harvesting facilities within the district and each island is the LDS church which caters to their members. These are the tanks that run out last because the infrastructures are large and the capacity of the catchment and the catchments themselves are large. This proves that large catchment areas and catchments can cater to the need of individual families if given the opportunity. The calculations above are based on an average of two gutters per household, which is usually half the size of the house and one side of the roof only. If the entire roof was to provide catchment the above calculations could be tripled.

Triple the amount of water harvested will mean enough water to be used by each individual as per required amount in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Water is a necessity and it is the basic makeup of human and other life forms. A healthy community can only thrive if there is clean potable water throughout the year. Without outside aid and help, the Lulunga District will continue to suffer water shortage from here on out unless there is something done about their water catchments.

One of Sam’s 22 000L fiberglass water tanks; rusted roof; moldy tank.

Last page: Shows a Rotomold 5 000L plastic water tank beside an abandoned 22 000L fiberglass tank.