- Incorporation of provisions of international agreements into national
legislation:
Despite the affiliation of Tonga to quite a number of international and regional environmental
agreements over the past decade or so, there has essentially been no significant incorporation
of elements of those agreements into national domestic policies. Some of the major reasons
have been over-riding concern with economic growth, a feeling of "subsistence affluence",
little awareness of the true dimension of the current and potential environmental problems,
a lack of awareness and appreciation of the agreements and their implications for Tonga.
Also of critical importance is the lack of political will to seriously face up to the
environmental issues. However, as more and more awareness-raising and educational
programmes are implemented, and as media channels (especially TV and radio) inform the
public of the true dimensions of the environmental problems confronting the country, the
government will need to undertake more and more of the obligations set out in the
international treaties of which Tonga is a member.
