Climate change will aggravate the significant risks already posed by natural hazards, impacting towns and cities that are also rapidly urbanising. In the Pacific, geographical isolation places further stress on the resilience of communities in Small Island States (SIDS). Rapid urban growth often overwhelms local Government response, in some cases leading to unplanned informal settlements and a significant growth in the numbers of ‘urban poor’, a group considered the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Responding to this critical urban resilience agenda in the Global South, the Centre for Urban Research houses CRU-AP; a group of researchers drawn from across different schools and disciplines to collaborate on projects that offer scientific, technical, and capacity strengthening solutions to some of the most critical challenges facing fast-growing towns and cities in the Asia Pacific region. This geographic focus closely complements the Climate Change Transformations group, which predominantly focuses on the Australian context, allowing for a sharing of people and knowledge between the two climate adaptation groups.

Partners and regional engagement:

UN-Habitat (Nairobi and the Asia Pacific regional office)

UN Global Land Tool Network

UN 10YFP Sustainable Building & Construction Programme

Habitat for Humanity 

DFAT

MFAT

ACFID Urban

Community of Practice

SIDA

SPC Pacific Community

Solomon Islands Government

Honiara City Council

Solomon Islands National University

Honiara City Youth Council.

Projects:

Climate Resilient Honiara, phase 2: funded by UNFCCC Adaptation Fund and administered by UN-Habitat (2022-2023).

Inclusive and Disaster Resilient Shelter Guide: Urban Informal Settlements, Honiara, Solomon Islands: funded by the AHP Disaster Ready programme and administered by Habitat for Humanity (2021 – 22)

Unlocking the potential of urban gardens as a mechanism for sustainable, climate resilient, livelihoods in Greater Honiara: funded by SPC (Pacific Community) (2021 – 22)

Climate Resilient Honiara, phase 1: funded by UNFCCC Adaptation Fund and administered by UN-Habitat (2019 – 2022).

Nature-based solutions (NbS) for enhanced climate resilience of informal settlements (SIDA)

Selected publications:

Journal articles

Inclusive and resilient shelter guide: accounting for the needs of informal settlements in Solomon Islands

Community profiling to support inclusive urban community-based climate adaptation: experiences of a survey-based approach in urban informal settlements in Honiara, Solomon Islands

Reports

Women, urban gardens, and local food security

Inclusive and Disaster Resilient Shelter Guide: Urban Informal Settlements, Honiara, Solomon Islands

Nature-based solutions for enhanced climate resilience of informal settlements

Wind Valley Community Profile

Community profiling methodology

Enumerator training notes: community profiling

Community engineering actions

Local validation of community engineering actions

Kukum Fishing Village – climate resilient community development plan

Ontong Java – climate resilient community development plan

Aekafo-Feraladoa Planning Area – climate resilient community development plan

Wind Valley – climate resilient community development plan

Jabros – climate resilient community development plan

Nature-based solutions

Design and location of new evacuation centres

Locally Appropriate Peri-Urban Land Administration Options

Inclusive and Disaster Resilient Shelter Guide: Urban Informal Settlements, Honiara, Solomon Islands

Climate risk comics (Pidgin)

Disaster resilient housing (Junior)
Disaster resilient housing (Jackson)

Urban gardens, climate change, and local food security (Casper) 

Urban gardens, climate change, and local food security (Rowena)

Impact

Learn more about some of the impacts from the project here.