Fongafale

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Fongafale
Island
LiggingFongafale.JPG
Location of Fongafale island in the Funafuti atoll
Tuvalu location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fongafale
Location in Tuvalu
Coordinates: 08°31′S179°12′E / 8.517°S 179.200°E / -8.517; 179.200
Country Tuvalu
Atoll Funafuti
Area
  Total2 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)
  Total6.006
  Density3.0/km2 (7.8/sq mi)

Fongafale (also spelled Fogale or Fagafale) is the largest of Funafuti's islets in Tuvalu. [1] [2] It is a long narrow sliver of land, 12 kilometres long and between 10 and 400 metres wide, with the South Pacific Ocean and reef on the east and the protected lagoon on the west. The north part is the Tengako peninsula, and Funafuti International Airport runs from northeast to southwest on the widest part of the island, with the village and administrative centre of Vaiaku on the lagoon side. [3]

Contents

On Fongafale, the Funafuti Kaupule is responsible for approval of the construction of houses or extensions to existing buildings on private land, and the Lands Management Committee is the responsible authority in relation to lands leased by government. [4]

In 1972, Funafuti was in the path of Cyclone Bebe. Cyclone Bebe knocked down 90% of the houses and trees on Fongafale. The storm surge created a wall of coral rubble along the ocean side of Fongafale and Funafala that was about 10 miles (16 km) long, and about 10 feet (3.0 m) to 20 feet (6.1 m) thick at the bottom. [5] [6]

Villages on Fongafale

Vaiaku Lagi Hotel Vaiaku Lagi Hotel.jpg
Vaiaku Lagi Hotel

Fogafale islet is the location of the main village settlements of Lofeagai, Teone, Fakai Fou, Senala, Alapi, Vaiaku and Kavatoetoe, from the northern to the southern point of the islet respectively which appear as one contiguous urban area. [7]

Vaiaku is the most important neighbourhood; it includes the Vaiaku Lagi Hotel (the only hotel of the country; there are also a few guesthouses), some shops, a fuel pump station, the general post office, and the National Bank of Tuvalu, the nation's only commercial bank. The villages have a surface area of more than 0.65 square kilometres and approximately 4,000 inhabitants.

Parliament of Tuvalu and government buildings

Looking west from a beach on Fongafale Islet towards Foalopa Islet (left) and Tepuka Islet (right) in the distance. Beach on Fongafale Islet.jpg
Looking west from a beach on Fongafale Islet towards Foalopa Islet (left) and Tepuka Islet (right) in the distance.

The Parliament of Tuvalu or Palamene o Tuvalu and the house of the Governor General of Tuvalu are located on Fongafale. Buildings include the offices of the government ministries and the government agencies, such as the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau, the Tuvalu Meteorological Service, the National Bank of Tuvalu, the offices of the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation, and the Tuvalu National Library and Archives. The Tuvalu Media Department, which operates radio services as Radio Tuvalu, is also located on Fongafale.

The police service has its headquarters and the jail on Fongafale. The High Court of Tuvalu is also located on Fongafale. Princess Margaret Hospital, the only hospital in Tuvalu, is located on Fongafale. Other significant buildings located on Fongafale are the Rt Hon Sir Dr Tomasi Puapua Convention Center, Tausoa Maneapa (community hall) and Fetu Ao Lima (Morning Star Church) of the Church of Tuvalu.

Aerial view of Tengako peninsula looking south to Fongafale Tuvalu view.jpg
Aerial view of Tengako peninsula looking south to Fongafale

Transportation

Air

Tuvalu's only airport, Funafuti International Airport, is located here. All connections are to Suva, Fiji via Fiji Airways.

Land

There are four taxis, and motorbikes are available for hire.

Water

Access to the Funafuti Conservation Area is by boat. The Conservation Area is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) across the lagoon from the main island of Fongafale.

There are port facilities on Fongafale. Two passenger/cargo ships, Nivaga II and Manu Folau, provide round-trip visits to the outer islands every three or four weeks, and also travel between Suva, Fiji [8] and Funafuti 3 to 4 times a year.

Aquifer salinization of Fongafale

The investigation of groundwater dynamics of Fongafale Islet, Funafuti, show that tidal forcing results in salt water contamination of the surficial aquifer during spring tides. [9] The degree of aquifer salinization depends on the specific topographic characteristics and the hydrologic controls in the sub-surface of the atoll. About half of Fongafale islet is reclaimed swamp that contains porous, highly permeable coral blocks that allow the tidal forcing of salt water. [10]

During World War II the occupying Japanese conducted extensive swamp reclamation to create an air field. It has been adapted as the Funafuti International Airport. As a consequence of the specific topographic characteristics of Fongafale, unlike other atoll islands of a similar size, Fongafale does not have a thick freshwater lens. [10] The narrow fresh water and brackish water sheets in the sub-surface of Fongafale islet results in the taro swamps and the fresh groundwater resources of the islet being highly vulnerable to salinization resulting from the rising sea level. [10]

A survey of the pits that have previously been used to grow Swamp taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii), (known in Tuvalu as Pulaka ) established that the pits were either too saline or very marginal for swamp taro production, even though a more salt-tolerant species of taro (Colocasia esculenta) is grown on Fongafale. [11]

Over-extraction of groundwater and pollution

In addition to the increased risk of salinization by the sea-level rise, the freshwater lens is at risk from over extraction to serve the large population that now occupies Fongafale islet. The effects of the increased extraction can be exacerbated by a decrease of the rainfall recharge rate associated with climate change. [9] Water pollution is a chronic problem, with domestic wastewater identified as the primary pollution source. [12] Approximately 92% of households on Fongafale islet have access to septic tanks and pit toilets. However, these sanitary facilities are not built per the design specifications, or they are not suitable for the geophysical characteristics, which results in seepage into the fresh water lens and run-off into coastal waters. [12]

A project involving the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) is constructing composting toilets and improving the treatment of sewage sludge from septic tanks on Fongafale in order to reduce the leakage from septic tanks into groundwater, and the ocean and lagoon. [13]

In November 2013 the World Bank announced US$6 million in funding to improve the operational safety of the Funafuti International Airport and associated infrastructure. An 800,000-litre water cistern will be constructed to improve storage of drinking water. [14]

Borrow Pits Remediation (BPR) project

When the airfield, which is now Funafuti International Airport, was constructed during World War II, the coral base of the atoll was withdrawn to use as fill to create the runway. The resulting borrow pits adversely affected the fresh-water aquifer. In the low areas of Funafuti, the sea water can be seen bubbling up through the porous coral rock to form pools with each high tide. [15] [16] [17]

Since 1994 a project has been in development to assess the environmental impact of transporting sand from the lagoon to fill all the borrow pits and low-lying areas on Fongafale. [18] [19] In 2013 a feasibility study was carried out and in 2014 the Tuvalu Borrow Pits Remediation (BPR) project was approved. It will result in all 10 borrow pits being filled, leaving Tafua Pond, which is a natural pond. [20]

The New Zealand Government funded the BPR project. [21] The project was carried out in 2015, with 365,000 sqm of sand being dredged from the lagoon to fill the holes and ultimately improve water and living conditions on the island. This project increase the usable land space on Fongafale by eight per cent. [22]

Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project

Tuvalu has received funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to develop the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) which has the overall objective of reducing the vulnerability of Tuvalu to the impacts of coastal hazards associated with climate change. [7] The TCAP is a plan to construct hard and soft coastal protection infrastructure to reduce inundation and coastal erosion on the islands of Nanumaga, Nanumea and Funafuti. [7] The implementation of the TCAP on Funafuti is proposed to be a land reclamation project on Fongafale, which will start from the northern boundary of the Queen Elizabeth Park (QEP) reclamation area and extend to the northern Tausoa Beach Groyne and the development of the Catalina Ramp Harbour. [7]

In December 2022, work on the Funafuti reclamation project commenced. The project is to dredge sand from the lagoon, [7] to construct a platform that is 780 metres (2,560 ft) meters long and 100 metres (330 ft) meters wide, giving a total area of approximately 7.8 ha. (19.27 acres), which is designed to remain above sea level rise and the reach of storm waves beyond the year 2100. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvalu</span> Country in Oceania

Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands, northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Tuvalu</span> Overview of the geography of Tuvalu

The Western Pacific nation of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is situated 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) northeast of Australia and is approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna and north of Fiji. It is a very small island country of 26 km2 (10 sq mi). Due to the spread out islands it has the 38th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 749,790 km2 (289,500 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tuvalu</span>

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians, so the origins of the people of Tuvalu can be traced to the spread of humans out of Southeast Asia, from Taiwan, via Melanesia and across the Pacific islands of Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanumea</span> Atoll in Tuvalu

Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about 400 miles (640 km) of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) with a population of 512 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tepuka</span> Island in Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu

Tepuka is an island eighteen kilometers west of Fongafale, in the northwest of Funafuti, the main atoll of the Oceanian nation of Tuvalu. Te puka, or Pouka, is the name of a tree - Hernandia peltata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funafuti International Airport</span> Airport in Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu

Funafuti International Airport is an airport in Funafuti, in the capital city of the island nation of Tuvalu. It is the sole international airport in Tuvalu. Fiji Airways operates between Suva and Funafuti.

Amatuku is an islet of Funafuti, Tuvalu on which the Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute is located. Access to Amatuku is from Tengako, which is the peninsula at the north end of Fongafale islet.

Fatato is an uninhabited islet (motu) of Funafuti, Tuvalu. In 2002 the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) chose this island for a systematic study of its coast in relation to the impact of global climate change on atolls. The islet can be accessed by foot with a 20-30 minute walk from Fongafale across the reef at low tide.

Funafala is an islet of Funafuti, Tuvalu that is inhabited by five families, with a church also located on the islet. Funafala means 'the pandanus of Funa', the name of a chief, after whom also the group has been named Funafuti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telele</span> Islet in Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu

Telele is an uninhabited islet of Funafuti, Tuvalu. The estimate terrain elevation of the island is 12 metres above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tengako</span>

Tengako is a peninsula at the north end of Fongafale islet of Funafuti, Tuvalu. At the end of the peninsula is Amatuku islet on which the Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute is located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funafuti</span> Atoll in Tuvalu

Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people, and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide. The average depth of the Funafuti lagoon is about 20 fathoms. With a surface area of 275 square kilometres (106.2 sq mi), it is by far the largest lagoon in Tuvalu. The land area of the 33 islets around the atoll of Funafuti totals 2.4 square kilometres (0.9 sq mi); taken together, they constitute less than one percent of the total area of the atoll. Cargo ships can enter Funafuti's lagoon and dock at the port facilities on Fongafale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Tuvalu</span> Emissions, impacts and responses of Tuvalu related to climate change

Climate change is particularly threatening for the long-term habitability of the island country of Tuvalu, which has a land area of only 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) and an average elevation of less than 2 metres (6.6 ft) above sea level, with the highest point of Niulakita being about 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level. Potential threats to the country due to climate change include rising sea levels, increasingly severe tropical cyclones, high temperatures, and drought. King tides can combine with storm surges and the rising sea level to inundate the low lying atolls.

<i>Cyrtosperma merkusii</i> Species of flowering plant

Cyrtosperma merkusii or giant swamp taro, is a crop grown throughout Oceania and into South and Southeast Asia. It is a riverine and "swamp crop" similar to taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots." There are no demonstrably wild populations today, but it is believed to be native to Indonesia. It is known as puraka in Cook Islands, lak in Yap, babai in Kiribati, iaraj in the Marshall Islands, brak in Palau, babaʻ in the Marianas Islands, pula’a in Samoa, via kana, Pulaka in Lau, Lovo in Fiji, pulaka in Tokelau and Tuvalu, mwahng in Pohnpei, pasruk in Kosrae, simiden in Chuuk, swam taro in Papua New Guinea, navia in Vanuatu and palawan in the Philippines.

The Funafuti Conservation Area is a marine conservation area covering 33 square kilometers of reef, lagoon and motu (islets) on the western side of Funafuti atoll in Tuvalu. The marine environment of the conservation area includes reef, lagoon, channel and ocean; and are home to many species of fish, corals, algae and invertebrates. The islets are nesting sites for the green sea turtle and Fualopa hosts a breeding colony of black noddy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuvaluan cuisine</span>

The cuisine of Tuvalu, a state in the Central Pacific (Oceania), is based on the staple of coconut and the many species of fish found in the ocean and the lagoons of the atolls of Tuvalu. Pulaka,, or swamp taro, is an important source of carbohydrates. Rice now forms an important part of the diet. Coconut is used in different forms with coconut water, coconut milk and the flesh of the coconut being used to flavour dishes. Various desserts made on the islands include coconut and coconut milk, instead of animal milk.

Agriculture in Tuvalu is based on coconut and swamp taro, , which is similar to taro but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots"; taro is also cultivated in Tuvalu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral reefs of Tuvalu</span> List of coral reefs in Tuvalu

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The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) was launched in 2017 to meet the challenges to Tuvalu resulting from climate change and sea-level rise affecting the islands of Tuvalu. Tuvalu was the first country in the Pacific to access climate finance from Green Climate Fund, with the support of the UNDP.

References

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External sources