Weather Ready Pacific: School children in Tokelau receive COPE Hazard Preparedness booklets in Gagana FakaTokelau

Atafu, Tokelau, 1 May, 2026 – A series of seven ‘COPE: Be prepared for disasters!’ booklets in Gagana FakaTokelau (Tokelau language) has been launched in a landmark achievement for hazard preparedness and community resilience in the Pacific. Presented by the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) this was officially launched across all three atoll islands of Tokelau: Fakaofo, Nukunonu and Atafu. 

The COPE booklets cover seven critical natural hazards that threaten Tokelau’s communities: storm surge, floods, tsunami, earthquake, volcano, drought and cyclones. Written in clear, accessible language and richly illustrated, the booklets are designed to help communities with its target audience of children - understand, prepare for, and respond to natural hazards that are increasingly unpredictable because of climate change. 

Ensuring the information reaches its target audience, these are the first resources of their kind to be produced and translated into Gagana Fakatokelau, the official language of Tokelau. This milestone ensures that life-saving preparedness information is accessible to all Tokelauans, particularly children in their own language, reinforcing the cultural identity and agency of the communities in protecting themselves.

“We are grateful to Weather Ready Pacific for these God given resources for our children, not only to educate them but to inspire them to be prepared for disasters, to take care of themselves, their families and their communities,” said HE Alapati Tavite, Ulu O Tokelau (Head of State of Tokelau). 

“Tokelau is among the most vulnerable countries in the world, so having programmes like this will assist us ensuring that Tokelau is prepared with early warnings on how to respond to disasters, and it shows that effort is taken at all levels: from the young children to our Taupulega and elders.”

As a low-lying atoll nation, Tokelau faces existential risks from rising sea levels, intensifying cyclones, prolonged droughts and powerful storm surges. Yet, despite this vulnerability, communities have long faced barriers to accessing hazard preparedness information in a format that is culturally appropriate and accessible through language.

The COPE booklet series addresses this gap directly. Each of the seven booklets focuses on a specific hazard, explaining what it is, how to recognise warning signs, what to do before, during and after an event, and how families and communities can prepare together. The use of illustrations makes the content engaging and understandable for children and adults alike, regardless of literacy level.

By translating these materials into Gagana FakaTokelau for the first time, the WRP Programme has taken a decisive step towards ensuring that no community is left behind in Pacific disaster preparedness efforts. Language is not merely a communication tool — it is a vehicle for trust, comprehension and action. Information delivered in one’s mother tongue is more readily absorbed, remembered and acted upon.

The simultaneous launch across Fakaofo, Nukunonu and Atafu underscores the programme’s commitment to reaching every corner of Tokelau’s geographically dispersed communities. Each of the three atolls has its own distinct community and local governance structure, and ensuring all three received the COPE booklets reinforces the principle that disaster preparedness must be universal and inclusive.

A total of 3500 booklets were provided to Tokelau and divided equally between the three atolls. The booklets will be distributed through schools, community centres and local government offices, ensuring broad reach across all age groups and demographics. Teachers, community leaders and parents are encouraged to use the booklets as learning tools to spark conversations about natural hazards and how to stay safe.

Speaking at the launch, WRP Programme Manager Mr ‘Ofa Fa’anunu expressed the deep commitment behind the initiative and its purpose for the youngest members of Tokelau’s communities: “To the children of Tokelau: these booklets are for you. Read them, learn them, share them with your families and use them to prepare and be ready for natural hazards.”

The quote reflects the WRP Programme’s principle that lasting disaster resilience begins with children and families. When young people understand the risks around them and are equipped with knowledge in their own language, they become powerful agents of preparedness within their homes and communities.

The Tokelau launch is part of the WRP Programme’s broader Pacific-wide COPE initiative, which has seen similar booklet series launched in other Pacific nations and territories. The programme continues to work with national meteorological and hydrological services, governments and communities to tailor preparedness resources to local languages, cultures and hazard profiles.

About Weather Ready Pacific

The WRP Programme is a Pacific-led, Pacific-owned decadal Programme of Investment endorsed by Pacific Leaders. Implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), WRP aims to reduce the human and economic costs of severe weather, water, and ocean events across Pacific Island communities by strengthening National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and their partnerships with National Disaster Management Offices. Since 2023, WRP is designated the primary regional vehicle for delivering the United Nations Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative in the Pacific. The programme is supported by the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

For more information, please contact:
Mr ‘Ofa Fa’anunu, Manager, WRP Programme - [email protected] 
Ms Angelica Salele-Sefo, Communications & Knowledge Management Officer, WRPP – [email protected]