The Kingdom of Tonga is one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, located in the heart of the Pacific. With low-lying islands, increasing waste pressures, and a strong cultural and ecological connection to the ocean, Tonga is on the front line of environmental change. Tonga faces mounting challenges in managing waste and preserving its marine ecosystems, particularly in outer islands like Vavaʻu, where plastic pollution threatens some of the Pacific's most pristine waters, home to humpback whales that migrate annually to give birth. To strengthen national resilience, Tonga needed sup