10-Year Plan to Fix Nuku’alofa Flooding Goes Nowhere: Time and Funds Running Out
By Tu’ifua Vailena
Nuku’alofa, Tonga — The persistent flooding of low-lying areas in Nuku’alofa has once again come under scrutiny, with serious questions raised about the government’s handling of infrastructure and urban planning at a recent press conference. Years of water inundation affecting both residential homes and businesses in the capital’s central business district have prompted calls for urgent and decisive action.
Despite a decade-long project set aside to address Nuku’alofa’s drainage problems, very little has been achieved. This was confirmed by Hon. Taniela Fusimalohi, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, who revealed that the Ministry previously responsible for the project had made no meaningful progress.
“The project was allocated a ten-year timeline,” said Fusimalohi, “but nothing has been done. Now we only have two and a half years left before the project expires—along with the funding.”
Originally overseen by another government department, the project is now being transferred to the Ministry of Infrastructure in a last-ditch effort to accelerate progress before the funding window closes. However, the minister was candid about the challenges ahead.
“One of our major problems is that we do not have the capacity to fulfil or undertake this type of work. We lack the know-how,” Fusimalohi admitted, highlighting a critical shortfall in local technical expertise needed to execute complex infrastructure projects.
A City Without a Plan
The flooding is exacerbated by rapid urban development in the capital. New buildings are rising across Nuku’alofa, but in the absence of effective planning or building codes, many are contributing to the water displacement that forces runoff into vulnerable low-lying areas.
Urban planning, a responsibility of the Ministry of Lands, has also come under fire. The department tasked with managing development and zoning has reportedly been inactive for years. In an attempt to reform the sector, the government has proposed renaming the portfolio to the “Ministry of Lands, Planning and Natural Resources” — a symbolic gesture that officials hope will signal a new era of proactive governance.
“The new Minister of Lands is looking at making planning a central part of their mandate,” Fusimalohi said, stressing the importance of integrating zoning regulations and environmental management into the country’s national strategy.
Wasted Studies and Missed Opportunities
The situation is not due to a lack of research. The World Bank previously conducted a study on the optimal traffic flow in Nuku’alofa and recommended improvements such as the installation of streetlights. Yet, according to the Deputy PM, those findings were never acted upon — another casualty of poor planning and follow-through.
The Way Forward
With funding on the line and time running out, the government now faces a race against the clock to salvage the drainage initiative. Fusimalohi’s remarks have cast a harsh light on the systemic issues within Tonga’s public service and the need for a coordinated, well-resourced approach to urban development.
Nuku’alofa’s future depends not only on fixing the flooding but on embedding a long-overdue culture of planning and regulation into the capital’s growth. Without it, the city risks being continually overwhelmed — not just by water, but by its own unchecked expansion.
