In the first part of our series on what it means to be
resilient, we focussed on the health and knowledge of the community. In part 2,
we’ll look at how a community is organized and how well it is connected to
surrounding communities, within the region and globally. As before, we use the
SDGs to provide a frame of reference for the type of actions that can be
undertaken at the community level to improve resilience and adaptation to the
ever changing world.
What does it mean for a community to be ‘organized’? In this
framework we take organized to mean governance and rule of law. SDG Goal 11
focuses on sustainable cities (and communities). Why? Because 95% of urban
expansion in the next decades will take place in developing countries, and the
Pacific is no exception. Urban
areas account for 60-80% of energy consumption, while rapid urbanization puts
undue pressure on freshwater supplies, on public health and the general living
environment. In order to be resilient in the face of vulnerabilities and shocks
such as cyclones, drought or epidemics, communities need to ensure access to
safe housing.
