Supporting localised disaster responses to help Pacific Island communities prepare for extreme climate events
The problem
Over the past decade , 83 % of global disasters were caused by extreme weather and climate-related events . Pacific Island countries are facing increasingly frequent and severe tropical cyclones and floods , due to climate change .
Pacific Island countries are also rapidly urbanising , posing new challenges for disaster recovery . Additionally , humanitarian response agencies can fail to recognise and represent community organisations in disaster assessments and recovery planning .
Our solution
Developing community-led responses to disasters helps foster resilience , community identity and responsibility , says Professor David Sanderson , the Judith Neilson Chair of Architecture in UNSW ’ s School of Built Environment . Localised or area-based approaches ( ABA ) prioritise participation and support cross-sector – rather than siloed – risk-reduction strategies .
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David Sanderson is internationally recognised for his research on urban and rural resilience and disaster preparedness , humanitarian aid , community-led recovery , geo-political conflicts and socioeconomic exclusion . His publications , Urban Humanitarian Response Good Practice Review and Using the Sphere Standards in Urban Settings , identify global best-practice and minimum standards in urban recovery operations for disasters , conflict , climate change , violence and displacement . They are widely used by UN agencies and international humanitarian aid agencies .
The Resilience Project , his partnership with the Australia Pacific Security College ( APSC-ANU ), in-country researchers and international NGOs , evaluated the suitability of area-based approaches to disasters in urban Pacific contexts . In-country researchers interviewed more than forty stakeholders , including representatives from local and national federal government , the Red Cross , World Vision , Oxfam , Save the Children , World Food Program , Fiji Council for Social Services , People with Disabilities Solomon Islands , and other organisations .
The research found geographically targeted , community-led and multi-sectorial approaches were integral for disaster recovery and resilience for Pacific Island countries .
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