Pacific island cities call for a rethink of climate resilience for the most vulnerable

Apr 24, 2019

Debris lies in a street near damaged buildings in Port Vila, the capital city of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu March 14, 2015. Winds of up to 250 kilometers an hour (155 mph) ripped metal roofs off houses and downed trees in Vanuatu on Saturday, as relief agencies braced for a major rescue operation and unconfirmed reports said dozens had already died. Witnesses described sea surges of up to eight meters (yards) and flooding throughout the capital Port Vila after the category 5 cyclone named Pam hit the country late on Friday. Picture taken March 14, 2015. REUTERS/Kris Paras (VANUATU - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT) - GM1EB3F0T0E01

Vanuatu is the world's most 'at risk' country for natural disasters. Image: REUTERS/Kris Paras

Alexei Trundle

Assistant Director (International), Melbourne Centre for Cities, University of Melbourne

Darryn McEvoy

Research professor, RMIT University

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Koa Hill informal settlement in central Honiara is prone to landslips and flash flooding. Image: Alexei Trundle (2017)

Graffiti on the fence of a damaged house in Blacksands, Port Vila, two years after Tropical Cyclone Pam. Image: Alexei Trundle (2017)

UN-Habitat adaptation planning workshops in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Image: Alexei Trundle (2016)

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A spatial assessment of Honiara’s climate vulnerability shows the overlap between ‘hotspots’ and informal settlements. Image: Honiara Urban Resilience & Climate Action Plan (UN-Habitat 2016)

Informal settlement areas in Blacksands, a large peri-urban community on customary land in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Image: Alexei Trundle (2017)

An informal water supply in Koa Hill, Honiara. Church-based community structures manage the pipes that distribute drinking water to subgroups of households. Image: Alexei Trundle (2017)

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