Urbanisation trends and global environmental change are two of the most critical modern-day stres... more Urbanisation trends and global environmental change are two of the most critical modern-day stressors threatening the resilience of cities around the world. This paper focuses on Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a resultant spread of informal settlements. Similar to other primary cities in the South Pacific, the rate of urbanisation is severely testing the local government’s ability to respond to growing levels of informality; and increasing the climate vulnerability of residents. Based on recent urban climate resilience and land tenure research conducted for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) respectively, the paper analyses land issues in two informal settlements in Honiara to highlight the inter-linkages between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and how insecure land tenure adversely impacts local adaptive capacity and adaptation planning. This analysis is embedded in the context of the South Pacific region, where duality tensions exist between Western-influenced land tenure arrangements within cities - a legacy of colonial times - and customary arrangements that operate in the surrounding peri-urban and provincial areas. Given the identification of strong links between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and the complexity of property rights in the region, the paper argues that principles of good land governance are an essential component of climate resilience thinking and actions.
This adaptation guidance document distils some of the key research findings from each of the proj... more This adaptation guidance document distils some of the key research findings from each of the project work packages in support of climate change adaptation decision-making. It is important to recognise that identifying risk is not a purely quantitative evaluation; it also involves qualitative decisions about the importance of the identified risks and which risks should be taken into account. Due to cascading impacts, it is also appropriate for ports to consider risks in partnership with key logistics providers and / or local governments. It is intended that these insights can inform and strengthen individual site-specific port assessments, and be used to test the assumptions held by ports.
This report constitutes the complete outputs of the climate vulnerability assessment carried out ... more This report constitutes the complete outputs of the climate vulnerability assessment carried out by RMIT University for Port Vila, Vanuatu throughout 2014. This activity forms part of the broader agenda for UN-Habitat’s Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI) in the Pacific region.
This document reports on research carried out to better understand the complexity (and uncertaint... more This document reports on research carried out to better understand the complexity (and uncertainty) of the future climate and non-climate risks that are likely to affect future port operations in Australia. The activity involved close liaison with both information providers and the case study ports, with the collation of quantitative and qualitative data to inform the assessments of functional and infrastructural resilience (project work packages 2 and 3). The report highlights some of the many challenges involved when assessing the risks that Australian ports need to contend with; not only contributing to the knowledge-base but also providing detail of an integrated assessment methodology that can be replicated for other cases.
Changes to our climate could have profound implications for tourism, the leisure industry, as wel... more Changes to our climate could have profound implications for tourism, the leisure industry, as well as the wider visitor economy. Having a better understanding of those future impacts and how best to adapt to them is critical. This study is the first attempt in the UK to systematically assess the likely impacts of climate change on this important and fast growing economic sector (currently worth £7bn to the region). The central question addressed by the research was: How can the visitor economy realise the opportunities presented by climate change, whilst ensuring that the resource base is sustained under growing visitor demand and climate related reductions in environmental capacity? The focus of the work has been on the Northwest of England but the lessons learnt are of much wider relevance.
The purpose of this report is to present and discuss the findings of qualitative research into in... more The purpose of this report is to present and discuss the findings of qualitative research into institutional barriers and opportunities of climate change adaptation, conducted by the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (VCCCAR) for the City of Greater Bendigo (CoGB). The CoGB has been a case study partner in the VCCCAR project ‘Framing multi-level and multi-actor adaptation responses in the Victorian context’. The research was conducted over a period of 12 months, using a collaborative and qualitative approach. CoGB staff from different divisions took part in the research, which was facilitated by the Sustainable Environment Unit. The research methods used were semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and informal key informant discussions. The study identified a number of institutional barriers, opportunities and cross-cutting issues in relation to climate change adaptation at the CoGB. These are based on perceptions of the individuals involved in th...
International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 2014
ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, major resettlement programmes were implem... more ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, major resettlement programmes were implemented in the affected countries including Sri Lanka and India. New settlements were built from scratch on vacant land, which consisted of building new houses and provision of infrastructure and services. Some of these programmes in Sri Lanka and India were reviewed in an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research and this paper presents and analyses some of the findings of the research. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The research is based on interviews of residents and representatives of agencies involved in planning and implementing the resettlement programmes, and on-site observations. The investigation examined critical aspects of settlement development including site planning, transport, drainage, water supply, sanitation, waste management and security. Findings ‐ Very little site planning guidelines were available specifically for resettlement programmes; in both the case study countries, general planning guidelines were applied. Provision and management of infrastructure and services presents great challenges in developing countries as high capital investment and good technical skills for design, implementation and maintenance are required. Some of the resettlement schemes had the advantage of being centrally located and hence had access to schools, health centres and other facilities. However, others were in isolated locations and beneficiaries faced problems in accessing basic facilities. Drainage was a problem ‐ most schemes did not have any surface drainage plan; low areas had not been elevated, slopes not levelled, and land not compacted before construction. Electricity and water supply had been provided in all the programmes, but conditions and quality varied. In many of the schemes, sanitation presented a problem. However, in Chennai, the sewage system worked well and this was one achievement all interview respondents praised. Solid waste management and security posed additional problems. Originality/value ‐ In the global context of increasing frequency and intensity of disasters due to climate change, adequate planning and implementation of reconstruction and resettlement programmes has become more important than ever. In this regard, the lessons gained in this paper should be of value and can provide guidance to post-disaster resettlement programmes in developing countries.
Urbanisation trends and global environmental change are two of the most critical modern-day stres... more Urbanisation trends and global environmental change are two of the most critical modern-day stressors threatening the resilience of cities around the world. This paper focuses on Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a resultant spread of informal settlements. Similar to other primary cities in the South Pacific, the rate of urbanisation is severely testing the local government’s ability to respond to growing levels of informality; and increasing the climate vulnerability of residents. Based on recent urban climate resilience and land tenure research conducted for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) respectively, the paper analyses land issues in two informal settlements in Honiara to highlight the inter-linkages between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and how insecure land tenure adversely impacts local adaptive capacity and adaptation planning. This analysis is embedded in the context of the South Pacific region, where duality tensions exist between Western-influenced land tenure arrangements within cities - a legacy of colonial times - and customary arrangements that operate in the surrounding peri-urban and provincial areas. Given the identification of strong links between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and the complexity of property rights in the region, the paper argues that principles of good land governance are an essential component of climate resilience thinking and actions.
This adaptation guidance document distils some of the key research findings from each of the proj... more This adaptation guidance document distils some of the key research findings from each of the project work packages in support of climate change adaptation decision-making. It is important to recognise that identifying risk is not a purely quantitative evaluation; it also involves qualitative decisions about the importance of the identified risks and which risks should be taken into account. Due to cascading impacts, it is also appropriate for ports to consider risks in partnership with key logistics providers and / or local governments. It is intended that these insights can inform and strengthen individual site-specific port assessments, and be used to test the assumptions held by ports.
This report constitutes the complete outputs of the climate vulnerability assessment carried out ... more This report constitutes the complete outputs of the climate vulnerability assessment carried out by RMIT University for Port Vila, Vanuatu throughout 2014. This activity forms part of the broader agenda for UN-Habitat’s Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI) in the Pacific region.
This document reports on research carried out to better understand the complexity (and uncertaint... more This document reports on research carried out to better understand the complexity (and uncertainty) of the future climate and non-climate risks that are likely to affect future port operations in Australia. The activity involved close liaison with both information providers and the case study ports, with the collation of quantitative and qualitative data to inform the assessments of functional and infrastructural resilience (project work packages 2 and 3). The report highlights some of the many challenges involved when assessing the risks that Australian ports need to contend with; not only contributing to the knowledge-base but also providing detail of an integrated assessment methodology that can be replicated for other cases.
Changes to our climate could have profound implications for tourism, the leisure industry, as wel... more Changes to our climate could have profound implications for tourism, the leisure industry, as well as the wider visitor economy. Having a better understanding of those future impacts and how best to adapt to them is critical. This study is the first attempt in the UK to systematically assess the likely impacts of climate change on this important and fast growing economic sector (currently worth £7bn to the region). The central question addressed by the research was: How can the visitor economy realise the opportunities presented by climate change, whilst ensuring that the resource base is sustained under growing visitor demand and climate related reductions in environmental capacity? The focus of the work has been on the Northwest of England but the lessons learnt are of much wider relevance.
The purpose of this report is to present and discuss the findings of qualitative research into in... more The purpose of this report is to present and discuss the findings of qualitative research into institutional barriers and opportunities of climate change adaptation, conducted by the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (VCCCAR) for the City of Greater Bendigo (CoGB). The CoGB has been a case study partner in the VCCCAR project ‘Framing multi-level and multi-actor adaptation responses in the Victorian context’. The research was conducted over a period of 12 months, using a collaborative and qualitative approach. CoGB staff from different divisions took part in the research, which was facilitated by the Sustainable Environment Unit. The research methods used were semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and informal key informant discussions. The study identified a number of institutional barriers, opportunities and cross-cutting issues in relation to climate change adaptation at the CoGB. These are based on perceptions of the individuals involved in th...
International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 2014
ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, major resettlement programmes were implem... more ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, major resettlement programmes were implemented in the affected countries including Sri Lanka and India. New settlements were built from scratch on vacant land, which consisted of building new houses and provision of infrastructure and services. Some of these programmes in Sri Lanka and India were reviewed in an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research and this paper presents and analyses some of the findings of the research. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The research is based on interviews of residents and representatives of agencies involved in planning and implementing the resettlement programmes, and on-site observations. The investigation examined critical aspects of settlement development including site planning, transport, drainage, water supply, sanitation, waste management and security. Findings ‐ Very little site planning guidelines were available specifically for resettlement programmes; in both the case study countries, general planning guidelines were applied. Provision and management of infrastructure and services presents great challenges in developing countries as high capital investment and good technical skills for design, implementation and maintenance are required. Some of the resettlement schemes had the advantage of being centrally located and hence had access to schools, health centres and other facilities. However, others were in isolated locations and beneficiaries faced problems in accessing basic facilities. Drainage was a problem ‐ most schemes did not have any surface drainage plan; low areas had not been elevated, slopes not levelled, and land not compacted before construction. Electricity and water supply had been provided in all the programmes, but conditions and quality varied. In many of the schemes, sanitation presented a problem. However, in Chennai, the sewage system worked well and this was one achievement all interview respondents praised. Solid waste management and security posed additional problems. Originality/value ‐ In the global context of increasing frequency and intensity of disasters due to climate change, adequate planning and implementation of reconstruction and resettlement programmes has become more important than ever. In this regard, the lessons gained in this paper should be of value and can provide guidance to post-disaster resettlement programmes in developing countries.
The Climate Change Adaptation Navigator is a web-based application designed to assist local and s... more The Climate Change Adaptation Navigator is a web-based application designed to assist local and state governments as well as regional organisations in the process of adapting to the impacts of climate change. It can assist planners and decision-makers to develop a strategic and tailored process pathway for adapting to climate change. The website (www.adaptation-navigator.org.au) was developed as a proof-of-concept, as part of the project: 'Framing climate change adaptation in the Victorian context', funded by the Victorian Government (Australia) through the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (VCCCAR).
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Papers by Darryn McEvoy
Solomon Islands, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a resultant spread of informal settlements. Similar to other primary cities in the South Pacific, the rate of urbanisation is severely testing the local government’s ability to respond to growing levels of informality; and increasing the climate vulnerability of residents. Based on recent urban climate resilience and land tenure research conducted for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) respectively, the paper analyses land issues in two informal settlements in Honiara to highlight the inter-linkages between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and how insecure land tenure adversely impacts local adaptive capacity and adaptation planning. This analysis is embedded in the context of the South Pacific region, where duality tensions exist between Western-influenced land tenure arrangements within cities - a legacy of colonial times - and customary arrangements that operate in the surrounding peri-urban and provincial areas. Given the identification of strong links between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and the complexity of property rights in the region, the paper argues that principles of good land governance are an essential component of climate resilience thinking and actions.
Solomon Islands, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a resultant spread of informal settlements. Similar to other primary cities in the South Pacific, the rate of urbanisation is severely testing the local government’s ability to respond to growing levels of informality; and increasing the climate vulnerability of residents. Based on recent urban climate resilience and land tenure research conducted for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) respectively, the paper analyses land issues in two informal settlements in Honiara to highlight the inter-linkages between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and how insecure land tenure adversely impacts local adaptive capacity and adaptation planning. This analysis is embedded in the context of the South Pacific region, where duality tensions exist between Western-influenced land tenure arrangements within cities - a legacy of colonial times - and customary arrangements that operate in the surrounding peri-urban and provincial areas. Given the identification of strong links between security of land tenure and climate vulnerability, and the complexity of property rights in the region, the paper argues that principles of good land governance are an essential component of climate resilience thinking and actions.