As part of the Climate Resilient Islands programme, communities in Tonga participated in information gathering on community assets, values, livelihoods and challenges. This data was used to produce each community’s Community Resilience Profile. These profiles in turn are the basis for Community Resilience Plans, which contain practical resilience strategies based on an ‘absorb, adapt, transform’ framework (as outlined below).

Based on the information communities provide in the profiles, communities envision in workshops what their ‘best futures’ look like and establish priorities, initiating a process of applying targeted strategies for resilience building of local resources and skills. This process is unique to each community, responding to their unique challenges and strengths, and driven by the community. These strategies are linked to grant funding and are also intended to provide a basis for the community to seek other partnerships and other forms of funding. The process is monitored, and adjustments made to the plans as the process of building resilience continues.