📋 Tender Overview
The World Banks Board of Executive Directors has approved two new projects totaling US53 million to boost the climate and disaster resilience of Tongan schools roads and ports. The US38m approximately TOP 87 million Tonga Climate Resilient Transport Project II is the second major commitment to Tongas transport sector in the past five years. Earlier support has already seen the rehabilitation of the Nafanua seaport on Tongas island of Eua with road works on Eua and Vavau and rehabilitation works at the Haapai Salote Pilolevu Airport expected to begin in 2022. This second phase will further improve Tongas transport sector for safer and more reliable travel by road sea and air and reduce potential damages and costs to transport infrastructure caused by future climate-related emergencies.The project will finance rehabilitation andor upgrading of up to 45km of roads across Tongatapu Vavau Haapai and Eua enhancement of the Eua and Haapai ports and improvement of the safety and resilience of airport infrastructure at Tongatapu Vavau Haapai Eua Niuafoou and Niuatoputapu. The support will also strengthen Tongas capacity to respond faster and more effectively to future disasters and emergencies.In addition the US15m approximately TOP 34 million World Bank-funded Tonga Safe and Resilient Schools Project builds on work undertaken through the World Banks Pacific Resilience Program to support work to improve the resilience of Tongan schools. In the past decade Tonga has been hard hit by Tropical Cyclones Harold 2020 Gita 2018 and Ian 2014 with Gita alone either damaging or destroying 109 of Tongas 150 schools affecting approximately 23000 students and resulting in damages of approximately TOP 356m US164m close to 38 percent of Tongas Gross Domestic Product.The Safe and Resilient Schools Project aims to also enhance the safety and resilience of selected schools throughout Tonga to ensure that these buildings better withstand the impacts of future disasters and provide safe and secure classrooms for students. Works will include new and improved classrooms school halls dormitories and teachers housing as well as critical Water Sanitation and Hygiene facilities like toilets handwashing facilities and clean drinking water. The new project also aims to improve the quality of education in Tonga by developing an Education Management Information System EMIS to better inform education management and policy reforms enhance the quality of teaching and review and improve Tongas school curricula and assessment processes.Tonga is one of the most at-risk countries in the world to climate change and natural disasters with the remoteness and size of its islands making it even more vulnerable to multiple social and economic shocks said Stephen Ndegwa World Bank Country Director for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Through these two projects both of which are significant in scope we are reiterating our long-term commitment to supporting Tongas efforts to build its resilience and ensure it can respond better and with confidence to drive effective recovery from the impacts of future natural disasters.Both projects are funded through grants from the International Development Association IDA the World Banks fund for the worlds most in-need countries. The World Bank works in partnership with 12 countries across the Pacific supporting 87 projects totaling US2.18 billion in commitments in sectors including agriculture aviation and transport climate resilience and adaptation economic policy education and employment energy fisheries health macroeconomic management rural development social protection telecommunications and tourism.
