1st Edition
Urbanisation at Risk in the Pacific and Asia Disasters, Climate Change and Resilience in the Built Environment
This book presents practical approaches for tackling the threats from climate change and disasters to urban growth in Pacific island countries and Asian nations.
With chapters written by leading scholars and practitioners, Urbanisation at Risk presents research and case studies from island countries across the Pacific, Cambodia, Nepal and the Philippines. The book explores and presents the theory, policy and practice of how governments, civil society, aid organisations and people themselves prepare for, withstand and recover better from urban disasters including windstorms, floods, earthquakes and fires, and the effects of climate change.
This book is written for urban policy makers, researchers, humanitarian aid and development workers, and anyone interested in urbanisation, participatory approaches, disasters, resilience and climate change adaptation.
Section 1: Pacific Island Countries
Chapter 1: Urbanisation at risk: urban resilience in Pacific Island Countries
by John Connell and Meg Keen
Chapter 2: Climate and disaster risks, challenges and opportunities for resilient Pacific towns and cities
by David Sanderson, Laura Bruce and Pamela Sitko
Chapter 3: The humanitarian-development nexus in Pacific urban contexts: lessons from tropical cyclone Winston in Fiji
by Anna Gero and Keren Winterford
Chapter 4: Reflecting on a journey from climate change vulnerability assessments to the implementation of climate resilience actions: Honiara, Solomon Islands
by Darryn McEvoy, Bernhard Barth, Alexei Trundle and David Mitchell
Chapter 5: What does neighbourhood level urban resilience look like in Honiara?
by Laura Bruce and Leeanne Marshall
Chapter 6: Using a systems approach to better understand urban resilience in Port Vila, Vanuatu
by Pamela Sitko, Walker Toma and Olivia Johnson
Chapter 7: ‘This is our garden now’: disasters and belonging in an urban Pacific
by Jennifer Day and Tom Bamforth
Chapter 8: Resilience in Pacific towns and cities: the social dimensions of change
by Paul Jones and Meg Keen
Section 2: Asia (and beyond)
Chapter 9: Planning for climate change: adapting to a more sustainable urban future
by Barbara Norman
Chapter 10: Community resilience through self-help housing adaptations: examples from Nepal and the Philippines
by Sandra Carrasco and Neeraj Dangol
Chapter 11: The discourse and practice of resilience policy in Phnom Penh
by Laura Beckwith and Piseth Keo
Chapter 12: Are children the key to designing resilient cities after a disaster?
by Robyn Mansfield
Chapter 13: Identifying resilience in recovery – complexity, collaboration and communication
by David Sanderson
Biography
David Sanderson is Professor and Inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW, Sydney. David has worked across the world in development and emergencies, both in practice, with NGOs and, latterly, in academia. In recent years, David is Editor of the 2016 IFRC World Disasters Report and the author of the ODI/ALNAP 2019 Good Practice Review in Urban Humanitarian Response.
Laura Bruce is Research Associate for the Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW, Sydney, where she is supporting research in urban resilience both internationally and in Australia. Laura has over 12 years’ experience working for international NGOs in project management, advocacy and research for development and humanitarian programmes.
"An insightful read on the urgency for a critical understanding of cities in the Asia Pacific region with thoughtful analysis by leading experts. The combination of case-studies and interrogation of cross-cutting themes provides a concrete approach to address the pressing issues facing vulnerable populations with a focus on resilience." —Ronak B. Patel, Director of Urbanization and Resilience Program, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
"The rapid rate of urbanization poses challenges in how humanitarian actors plan, prepare for and respond to disasters. The breathtaking speed of change in the urban environment urgently requires adaptability and agility on the part of humanitarians. Urbanisation at Risk is a timely publication as it provides pragmatic advice to a policy makers and inspiring examples to practitioners. For the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies with its broad reach to communities through its 192 national societies around the world, this book is essential reading, not only to ensure engagement at the policy level, but also in the design of appropriate programmatic interventions in towns and cities where we work." —Jemilah Mahmood, Under Secretary-General, Partnerships, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
