Integrating Tech and Community for Effective Early Warnings: Savelinga Faʻoliu, Tonga

The early warning system programme’s first phase was held online, and the top-performing participants were invited to a final 12-day study tour in Japan – Savelinga among them.

Visiting Japan was a transformative experience for Savelinga. Japan, renowned for its proactive disaster preparedness and advanced technological systems, offered her a glimpse into Tonga’s possible future. Through field visits to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and other sites, Savelinga learned about remote sensing technologies and meticulously designed early warning systems.

The contrast between Japan’s sophisticated systems and Tonga’s current setup was stark, yet it sparked a hopeful determination within her. 

Japan was really prepared for disasters and early warning systems ... We need to catch up, but I believe Tonga can get there in the future, Savelinga says.

The most important lesson she learned in Japan, however, was that early warning systems were not just about technology. Savelinga was impressed how Japan also mobilized communities and issued warnings through mobile phones and radio to ensure that people could respond in a timely manner. She realized that while resources might be limited in Tonga, there was plenty of scope to strengthen disaster preparedness through better awareness, coordinated community action and communication.

A good early warning system is not just about technology, but also about community involvement and clear communication. — Savelinga Fatafehi ‘O Lapaha Fa’oliu, geologist and UNITAR training programme alumna, Tonga