Problem overview:
Framework for coordination: Tonga has adopted a coordinated system for management of water resources by assigning responsibilities to a number of related Ministires. Often the responsibilities tend to overlap each other and when this occurs, conflicts from resource competition, policy differences, and so on, inevitably arise and make the situation more problematic. Here is an example of water management situation in Tonga that reflects how overlapping of responsibilities lead to environmental degradation.
Integrating stakeholders: Tonga has integrated a number of government agencies in the management of her scarce water supply e.g. Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Lands Surveys and Natural Resources, the Tonga Water Board, etc.
Background in summary:
Joint management of the water supply: Management of the water supply is the joint responsibility of the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Lands, Surveys, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MAF), Ministry of Lands Surveys and Natural Resources (MLSNR) and the Tonga Water Board (TWB). Each of these institutions plays a separate role. There is also grass roots involvement in water management through village committees.
The case of the squash industry: An interesting example is the pollution of ground water resources by the squash industry. With the active support of MAF, squash exports have become Tongas most important economic activity. However, with adoption of pesticide and fertiliser usage in the practice, there are now indications that this is starting to adversely impact fresh water lens.
Over lapping responsibilities and conflict of interest: Serious questions are being raised on the sustainability of the squash industry. However, immediate concerns of employment and foreign exchange generation have held sway over medium to longer-term considerations of water pollution. Thus, while the Environmental Planning Unit is a part of the MLSNR, its concerns on water pollution have been largely muted in the economic decision making process.
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Good practice rating:
(1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score) |
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Sustainability
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Efficiency
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| 4 |
 Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other. |
3 |
Cost efficient. |
| 3 |
Sustainable over time (not one-off) |
Process |
| Adaptability |
- |
Participation of the community |
| 2 |
Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?) |
- |
Participation of resource owners/users |
| 2 |
Socio-cultural adaptability. |
- |
Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private) |
| 3 |
Level of development adaptability. |
3 |
Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments. |
| 2 |
Style of government adaptability. |
2 |
Ability to attract political interest/support |
| 3 |
Degree of decentralization adaptability. |
- |
Procedures for feedback and review. |
Comments on this example:
Serious consideration needs to given to pricing agro chemicals to reflect the true cost to society of producing squash under the present package of practices. This would also increase the incentive to adopt IPM and organic production systems. No doubt the taxing of these inputs for the countries most important industry would require considerable political courage.
- The establishment of a single national water committee/authority, backed by legislation, to oversee all water resource management;
- Expanding and upgrading the Tonga Water Board; and
- Establishing clearer and functionally more effective definition and demarcation of the areas of responsibilities and areas of co-operation.
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Sustainability of the project:
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Improvement in either the environment or economic condition with no harm to the other: This criteria has been rated 4 because overlapping of responsibilities lead to inefficiency. Environmental problems could not be dealt on time due to conflict, therefore, environmental condition could not be improved and sustainable development could not be met. Government resources, if not distributed according to actual ustilization, could result in redundancy for one agency and shortage in another, hence, cost inefficient. Finally, degree of coordination among agencies is considered low, otherwise problem of redundancy would have been resolved.
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Adaptability of the project to other situations:
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Most of the boxes that were rated 4 because overlapping of responsibilities lead to inefficiency. Environmental problems could not be dealt on time due to conflict, therefore, environmental condition could not be improved and sustainable development could not be met. Government resources, if not distributed according to actual ustilization, could result in redundancy for one agency and shortage in another, hence, cost inefficient. Finally, degree of coordination among agencies is considered low, otherwise problem of redundancy would have been resolved.
| Process of decision making and implementation: |
Framework for coordination: With the likely increasing in water consumption and the demand for better quality, conflicts are bound to increase also. Some institutional reforms that provide for better co-ordination may help to resolve these conflicts. The following might be considered:
- The establishment of a single national water committee/authority, backed by legislation, to oversee all water resource management;
- Expanding and upgrading the Tonga Water Board; and
- Establishing clearer and functionally more effective definition and demarcation of the areas of responsibilities and areas of co-operation.
Integrating stakeholders:
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Documentation: |
Literature or other written project review references
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Source of Information: |
Integration Environmental Considerations into Economic Decision-Making Processes in Pacific Island Countries: Institutional Arrangements and Mechanism (Unpublished)
Report prepared by Andrew McGregor
Koko Siga (Fiji) Ltd
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Contacts: |
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Submitted by: |
ESCAP
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