ADB Resilient Infrastructure Project Snapshot: Tonga Cyclone Gita Recovery Project

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gita was the most intense storm to ever hit the Pacific island nation of Tonga. Making landfall on 12 February 2018, it caused severe damage to the islands of Tongatapu and ‘Eua. Widespread destruction of the power network disrupted communities and led to energy sector reconstruction costs of about $46 million.

In 2018, the Asian Development Bank and Government of New Zealand approved separate grants to help reconstruct and improve disaster resilience of the Nuku’alofa electricity network, in partnership with the Government of Tonga and Tonga Power Limited. The power network recovery was informed by an existing 10-year Energy Roadmap and building back better lessons from the Cyclone Ian Recovery Project in 2014.