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On 27 November 2024, in partnership with Arup Australia, the UNSW Institute for Global Development (IGD) convened an introductory roundtable to explore the role of nature in climate adaptation in Australasia and the Pacific.

Following a welcome by Arup’s Global Resilience & Adaptation Leader, Dr. Kaitlin Shilling, roundtable discussions were catalysed by five short burst presentations from UNSW and Arup speakers:

• Kirsten Splinter (UNSW, Managing Director, Water Research Laboratory)
• Adriana Verges (UNSW, Director, Centre for Marine Science & Innovation)
• Thomas Dunlop (UNSW, PhD student & Arup, Senior Engineer)
• Ed Rowe (Arup, Resilience & Adaptation Leader for NSW/ACT and the Pacific)
• Kristen Foley (Arup, Senior Consultant)

The presentations highlighted cutting-edge research and practices from both institutions, bridging knowledge gaps and fostering collaboration.

Arup speakers shared experiences from ongoing work and emerging research into coastal habitats in the Pacific.

UNSW speakers shared insights from a mangrove rejuvenation project in the Pacific and ongoing research into nature-based solutions for coastal and estuarine environments.

The impacts of climate change

The effects of human-induced climate change are becoming increasingly evident year by year, with increased coastal flooding, longer fire seasons, and changing rainfall patterns putting entire ecosystems at risk. In Australia alone, more than 1,700 species and ecological communities are at risk of extinction, and, in the Pacific, a further 150 species have been identified as threatened.

Nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have been proposed as a way to sustainably tackle the interlinked global crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Examples of NbS:

• Mangrove forests and coral reefs act as natural buffers against wave energy and storm surge impacts, protecting shorelines.
• Dune restoration and seagrass meadows can stabilise coastlines.
• Green infrastructure, like urban forests and wetlands, can absorb rainwater and reduce flood risks.
• Green roofs, parks, and tree-lined streets cool urban areas and mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Controversies

While nature-based solutions and their application are relatively new, similar environmental stewardship has been practised by Indigenous peoples across the world for thousands of years, with measurably positive effects on global biodiversity. However, traditional practices and knowledge are often overlooked or co-opted in the implementation of NbS.

There are also concerns that NbS are used to “greenwash” harmful environmental practices – for example, offsetting carbon emissions or the destruction of nature in one area due to the implementation of NbS in another area.

If NbS are to become reliable and sustainable approaches to climate adaptation in Australasia and the Pacific, these controversies need to be further explored and reconciled, alongside the development of new approaches to financing, regulating, managing, and evaluating nature-based solutions.

What's next

UNSW and Arup identified multiple opportunities to collaborate across key themes – e.g. Pacific migration, mangrove interventions – and operational opportunities – e.g. student mobility, STEM research engagements.

UNSW and Arup will continue to pursue our strong shared interest in nature-based solutions and their role in climate adaptation with a series of partnership roundtables set to continue in 2025.