Urbanisation at Risk: Urban Resilience in Pacific Island Countries

Abstract

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are among the most vulnerable in the world to natural hazards, and increasingly to those exacerbated by climate change, which is set to increase dramatically over the next thirty years, if unchecked. PICs are also urbanising, with much of this urban growth taking place in informal, low-income settlements, usually located on poor quality land. Such settlements are almost always the most vulnerable to naturally-triggered disasters, and can be overlooked by rurally-biased planning policies and humanitarian actors. This chapter outlines the hazard threats facing urban areas, in particular those fueled by climate change. It discusses urban management and planning in PICs and reviews current limitations in planning practices. It then presents opportunities in policy and practice to contribute to more resilient urban areas, in particular relating to the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP), 2017–30.