Tonga integrates CC and DRM into Education

By Sini Latu, Tonga Broadcasting Commission: http://www.tonga-broadcasting.net

9 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji -Tonga’s Ministry of Education is in the process of integrating climate change (CC) and disaster risk management (DRM) into the school curriculum.

The head of Tonga's Curriculum Development Unit of the Ministry of Education, Teresa Pahulu told the Joint 2013 Disaster Risk Management andClimate Change Roundtable, that a special committee is looking intoclimate change and disaster risk management closer into the education system.

The working committee on “Education on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management” will make sure that schools are being provided with and have developed resources on CC and DRM.

She pointed out that Tonga in its Strategic Development Framework 2011-2015 highlighted the importance of linking cultural awareness with climate change adaptation, disaster risk
management and environmental sustainability in education.

Pahulu says cultural awareness is the traditional way of foreseeing and withstandingthe impact of climate change and disasters.

She says these traditional practices needs to be further developed, placed in school resources.