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A combination of population growth, unprecedented rates of urbanization, and a changing climate, is leading to complex resilience challenges for Governments and societies around the world [.]

Focussing on peri-urban areas of Honiara, this report assesses the land tenure issues and provides recommendations for locally appropriate land administration options to support project actions in peri-urban areas. The report presents an assessment of land administration and options to secure and safeguard legitimate tenure rights and inform resettlement considerations on land identified for project activities, taking account of both the current legislation and customary tenure.

This research leveraged existing UN-Habitat instances of community profiling surveys (such as the survey being used in Fiji and partly deployed in Koa Hill), which were then refined for use in the Honiara context. The goal was to design a survey that is both quick and effective, elicits information on critical issues of vulnerability to climate change and natural hazards, is fit for local purpose, and can be considered together with other sources of socio-economic information (e.g. collected by the national Census). It also attempted to leverage / integrate with existing Government geospatial datasets. The RMIT team also supported the implementation and analysis of the survey. It achieved this through identifying suitable enumerators (in consultation with SI Ministries and Honiara City Council) and sourcing appropriate technology platforms to collect and process the data, with a view toward interoperability with other datasets. The analysis of the data was conducted in Melbourne, providing a broad profile of the community that can be used as input into other components of the Climate Resilient Honiara project, as well as other climate-related decision-making.

Complex policy issues such as climate change adaptation can be interpreted in many different ways, resulting in different assumptions about their purpose and goals. Using material from a qualitative study in the Australian local government sector, this research shows that stakeholders involved in local adaptation policy formulation often do not have a shared view about the meaning and purposes of adaptation, although such shared understanding is commonly assumed in adaptation processes. Drawing on the frame-research literature and current conceptualisations of climate change adaptation, we argue that subconscious frame divergence can present a major challenge for effective organisational-level adaptation. Conversely, making frames and framing processes explicit is a first step towards clarifying adaptation goals and generating shared ownership of adaptation processes. While frames have been shown to be intrinsically subjective, we discuss three dominant frames that emerged from the study: avoiding disasters, community resilience, and averting organisational risk. We evaluate these in light of their theoretical origin and recent application towards climate change adaptation. Our research suggest that the 'averting organisational risks' frame is by far the most commonly activated frame. Individuals working in the community services sector frequently referred to the 'community resilience' frame, while the 'avoiding disasters frame' was used in public and policy discourse to circumvent the arguments of those sceptical about the existence and causes of climate change. We suggest that, by incorporating frame reflexivity into existing adaptation planning processes, a more diverse range of policy options can be explored, delivering more effective adaptation policies.

The capital cities of the South Pacific are experiencing rapid urbanisation pressures as increasing numbers of people migrate to the primary cities either in search of employment and greater access to healthcare and education, or as a consequence of environmental &lsquo ; push&rsquo ; factors. However, the limited capacity of municipal Governments to respond to the scale and pace of change is leading to a growth of informal settlements in peri-urban locations. Factors of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity combine to make these informal settlements the most vulnerable areas to natural hazards. In response to this critical urban resilience agenda, this paper looks at how participatory action research is providing inter-disciplinary scientific support for the implementation of urban resilience and climate actions in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Adaptation measures involve a combination of hard and soft actions ; as well as activities designed to strengthen local capacity to respond to contemporary resilience challenges. Addressing the adaptive capacity component, this paper also highlights the opportunities for Australian universities to integrate teaching and learning with action research to achieve a substantive real-world impact in the Pacific region, as well as illustrating the capacity strengthening benefits that can be achieved through sustained engagement and collaborative partnerships with local organisations.

PurposeThere is a growing interest in climate change action in the higher education sector. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role as property owners, employers, education and research hubs as well as leaders of societal transformations. The purpose of this paper was therefore to benchmark how universities globally are addressing climate risks.Design/methodology/approachAn international survey was conducted to benchmark the sector's organisational planning for climate change and to better understand how the higher education sector contributes to local-level climate adaptation planning processes. The international survey focused especially on the assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation plans.FindingsBased on the responses of 45 HEIs located in six different countries on three continents, the study found that there are still very few tertiary institutions that plan for climate-related risks in a systematic way.Originality/valueThe paper sheds light on the barriers HEIs face in engaging in climate adaptation planning and action. Some of the actions to overcome such hindering factors include integrating climate adaptation in existing risk management and sustainability planning processes, using the internal academic expertise and curriculum to assist the mapping of climate change impacts and collaborating with external actors to guarantee the necessary resources. The higher education sector can act as a leader in building institutional resilience at the local scale.

This report examines the potential role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in contributing to a portfolio of actions aimed at enhancing the climate resilience of Honiara's urban residents; as well as proposing specific NbS actions that are appropriate for local context. The conceptual designs highlighted in the report have been informed by a number of site visits; consultations with local and national Government, NGOs and CSOs, and local communities; and participatory design studios held in both Honiara and Melbourne [using 2017 LiDAR data provided by the SI Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS)]. The analysis was also framed by two important local agendas: the potential for Honiara City Council (HCC) to develop an urban greening / liveability strategy, and SPREP's 'Planning for Ecosystem-based Adaptation' project. The developmental process for the designs has also been cognisant of Honiara's Local Planning Scheme (2015, to be updated in 2020) and the Greater Honiara Urban Development Strategy and Action Plan (promoted by the ADB and Solomon Islands Government).

An interdisciplinary study was conducted in the Kailash Sacred Landscape region in north-western Nepal, to explore opportunities for, and barriers to, sustainable tourism as an adaptation strategy, not only for reducing community vulnerability to climate change but also as a poverty-alleviation measure. Whilst the primary focus was on interactions between tourism and climate change, the study revealed a highly complex system, with many social, economic, environmental, and institutional drivers involved. In order to bring some clarity and consistency in the exploration of these complex interactions in context, elements of the policy sciences, primarily problem orientation, were utilised. The exploratory nature of the study, including its objectives and intended use, meant that goal clarification and analyses of trends were based on limited available information. Despite these shortcomings, the study was able to elucidate and clarify on important factors to consider in consultation with relevant participants. Diversification of livelihood options as well as preserving local culture were found to be highly valued-both by the local communities that were consulted as well as for those advocating for a tourism experience that is unique to this region. Harmonising these valued outcomes could be achieved by incorporating and legitimising local traditional knowledge. Insights into further collaboration on the issue of valued outcomes would strengthen and support the knowledge base for an appraisal of possible development pathways. Adapted from the source document.