The Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano began to erupt on the 14th January 2022 and reached a powerful peak on the 15th January 2022. The eruption released massive amounts of ash and caused a tsunami, resulting in the potential inundation of areas across the region. In this assessment, four key Areas Of Interest (AOIs) have been identified and these are 1) Tongatapu, 2) Eua, 3) Ha’apai and, 4) Vava’u, based on the administrative boundaries from Global Administrative areas (GADM) to evaluate people exposed to ash cover following the eruption. 

A rapid assessment on ash cover was conducted by the FAO Geospatial Unit of Land and Water Division (NSL) using optical imagery to estimate people exposed to ash cover caused by the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption in Tonga on 14th January 2022.