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The global impacts of desertification and land degradation prompted the United Nations Organization to adopt the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994. Tonga acceded to the UNCCD on September 25, 1998 and ratified the Convention in December 24, 1998. Under the UNCCD all parties to the Convention are expected to meet their national and international commitment to implement key activities. This report is the result of the National Capacity self-Assessment to identify and characterize critical capacity constraints relevant to effective environmental management in Tonga, and to develop a plan of action to address these constraints, in a co-ordinated manner to fulfil its obligation under the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Natural and anthropogenic exploitation of natural resources led to the increasing rate of biodiversity loss. Concern was expressed by the international communities about the loss of biodiversity. In an effort to address the biodiversity crisis the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity (UNCBD) was opened for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The UNCBD was opened together with two other conventions namely the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). These conventions are known as the “Three Rio Conventions”. Tonga acceded to the UNCBD, on the19th May 1998. As a party to the UNCBD, Tonga is required to take measures to ensure biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and the equitable sharing of benefits from the use of its biological diversity. The articles of the Convention also require adhering to. Tonga identified seventeen obligations under the UNCBD to be fulfilled.

Increasing recognition of the changes in the natural environment as a result of human interference has lead to the international community agreeing on a number of multi-lateral environmental agreements (MEAs). At the 1992 Earth Summit, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for "sustainable development" – meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. Three key agreements from the Summit are the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. These three are known as the Rio Conventions.

The waters surrounding Choiseul contain some of the highest diversities of coral and reef fish in the world, with the 2004 Solomon Island Marine Assessment showing that the Solomon Islands are part of the global centre for marine diversity known as the Coral Triangle. Other countries that make up the Coral Triangle are Indonesia, Philippines, parts of Malaysia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea. Since 2004 The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Community (LLCTC) and Choiseul provincial fisheries have assisted five local communities around Choiseul in their efforts to establish Marine Conservation Areas (MCA) on their traditional reefs. The first MCA to be established was the Zinoa MCA. Zinoa is located on the south-west side of Choiseul in the Solomon Islands. The Zinoa MCA was established by traditional leaders in November 2004, covering 150 hectares and consisting of two islands and associated reefs that occur approximately one kilometre offshore from Voza village on the Choiseul mainland. The reefs around Zinoa Islands are representative of this region of the South coast of Choiseul. In early 2005 sea cucumbers, trochus and giant clams around Zinoa Islands were reported by traditional reef owners to be only a tiny fraction of their former abundance and food fish populations were also reported to be in decline.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was set up jointly by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to provide an authoritative international statement of scientifi c understanding of climate change. The IPCC’s periodic assessments of the causes, impacts and possible response strategies to climate change are the most comprehensive and up-to-date reports available on the subject, and form the standard reference for all concerned with climate change in academia, government and industry worldwide. Through three working groups, many hundreds of international experts assess climate change in this Fourth Assessment Report. The Report consists of three main volumes under the umbrella title Climate Change 2007, all available from Cambridge University Press

The Convention on Biological Diversity has been adopted by many countries, resulting in the development of national biodiversity strategies. This illustrates the international recognition of the importance of protecting ecosystems. However, ecosystems still face many threats, some of them growing and spreading so rapidly as to cause irreversible deterioration in many countries and areas. The Biodiversity Synthesis Report of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment show many undersireable phenomena such as loss of forest, conversion of terrestrial biomes, extinction of species and so on. This report also describes various ecosystem services, and explains how their changes have affected humans. Furthermore, it proposes international actions to achieve sustainability for future generations.

Massive coral bleaching episodes have impacted the function of the reefs and increased rates of mortality. Coral reefs support over one million plant and animal species and their economic value is pro¬jected to more than US $ 30 billion annually. Extreme climatic con¬ditions, however, are most likely to increase in the future with cur¬rent climate scenarios. Projected increases in carbon dioxide and temperature exceed the conditions under which coral reefs have flourished over the past 500 000 years. Coral reefs are crucial bio¬diversity hotspots and support both coastal fisheries and tourism in many regions. Coral reefs, however, are in decline in many regions as a result of numerous pressures, including, but not limited to, extreme climate events, unsustainable fishing practices, diseases, sedimentation, and discharge of untreated sewage. Increasing re¬silience and securing rapid recovery of coral reefs will be essen¬tial for the ability of these ecosystems to support coastal fisheries and coastal livelihoods and cultures in the future. However, this resilience and recovery may be seriously impounded by unsustain¬able coastal infrastructure development and marine pollution from land-based sources. At the current rate of growth, coastal develop¬ment may impact up to 90% of the tropical and temperate coast¬lines by 2032 if development continues unchecked. While progress has been made to reduce the discharge and impacts of oil spills and persistent organic pollutants (POP’s), there now needs to be a focus on the largest current threats to the coastal marine environment : untreated sewage and piecemeal coastal development.