Climate resilience in the cities of Oceania
Cities are drivers of climate change, responsible for about 75% of global carbon dioxide emissions. But the people leading and living in cities are also increasingly drivers of action for climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
At the Innovate4Cities conference last week, hosted by UN-Habitat and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, MSSI’s Professor Sarah Bell chaired a panel discussion on the steps that leaders in Australia, New Zealand the Pacific are taking to boost the resilience of their cities to shocks such as those brought by climate change.
Professor Bell joined MSSI in February 2021 as the City of Melbourne Chair in Urban Resilience and Innovation. Ongoing research under the Urban Resilience and Innovation Program is looking into the relationships between urban decision-making and resilience.
Working in partnership with the City of Melbourne, the research aims to provide findings for action that can be applied by local government and communities. The work program includes learning from the experience of Covid-19 pandemic, as well as ways to build resilience to climate shocks.
A PhD scholarship opportunity is now available for a candidate to undertake research on resilience and innovation in Melbourne with Professor Bell.
Catch up on last week’s panel discussion below, featuring Professor Bell, Melbourne Centre for Cities Fellow Jessie Briggs, City of Melbourne Director for Climate Change and City Resilience Tiffany Crawford, Yarra City Councillor Amanda Stone, and Professor Iain White from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.