The Climate Adaptation Platform A new initiative to respond to the demands of climate adaptation in Asia Pacific. This document provides an overview of its mission and approach to brief prospective industry partners on the scale of the opportunity. The need Climate change is now accepted, and the world’s attention is now turning towards adapting to, and mitigating, its worst effects. Global average temperatures are expected to be 2C warmer by 2050, bringing more extreme weather events, such as more intense rainfall, more frequent and intense droughts, as well as floods and heat waves. The World Bank, for instance, warns that global warming will have ‘dramatic implications for how countries manage their economies, care for their people, and design their development paths’. It estimates that the cost of adaptation for developing countries to a warmer world by 2050 is in the range $70 billion to $100 billion per year. Adaptation includes breeding crops that are drought- and flood-tolerant, and climateproofing infrastructure to make them resilient to climate risks. The highest overall cost will be borne by East Asia and the Pacific, with adaptation required to infrastructure, coastal zones, and water supply, as well as agriculture and human health. The International Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report says whilst there is still some uncertainty about the extent of sea-level rise (average projections range from 0.4 m to 0.7 m by 2100, with a projected maximum of 0.98 m), there is no uncertainty about whether the sea level will rise. The consequences, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will impact hundreds of millions of people living in Asia and the Pacific. There are more
than 60 cities of >100,000 people in lowelevation coastal zones. Of the 25 cities in the world most exposed to a 1-metre rise in sea-level, 12 are in Asia, and seven are in the Philippines alone. The Asian Development Bank’s response has been to increase its adaptation financing by 77%, to $998 million in 2013. Investments in transport account for 43% of its total lending pipeline in 2015-17,
private sector interests in leading projects in climate adaptation.
some $13.8 billion. The ADB’s overall lending pipeline for 2015-17 is $32.1 billion.
transportation and infrastructure, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology and coastal engineering, building management, to disaster responses and resilience. It combines the insights from the latest research with the practical experience of New Zealand’s largest engineering and construction consultancies. Its thinking on resilience and recovery draws on research findings from the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes and other recent disasters, such as the 2009 Australian bushfires.
In 2016, the World Bank announced that it will increase share of its portfolio for climate adaptation from 21% to 28%, with total financing (including leveraged co-financing) of an estimated $29 billion by 2020. It estimates that $90 trillion investment will be needed in low-carbon, climate resilient infrastructure by 2030. It plans to expand its partnerships with research groups and
The response The Climate Adaptation Platform has been formed in response to the challenge of climate adaptation in Asia Pacific. It brings together New Zealand’s leading engineers and researchers in relevant fields, from
Four pillars of engagement on climate adaptation Engagement Framework
Projects should tick at least one pillar
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Utilising spatial planning and risk-based tools
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Employing fit-for-purpose infrastructure solutions
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Strengthening the enabling environment
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Supporting post-disaster recovery
The Platform’s Director, Dr Theuns Henning, has extensive experience of leading transportation projects in developing countries. He is expert in performance-based procurement. The Recovery theme will be led by Professor Suzanne Wilkinson, who leads the Centre for Disaster Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction at the University of Auckland and has extensive experience in disaster management, recovery, and reconstruction. The Platform has several tools that are ready-to-go: Build Back Better, Post-Disaster Planning, Risk Assessment, and Rapid Assembly Structures. It will soon offer capability in governance for major rebuilds; coastal protection; bridges (criticality and temporary bridges); slope stability, safety and security; and hydromechanics and modelling.
The University of Auckland The University supports economic growth locally and nationally through innovation and entrepreneurship, creating quality jobs and high-value businesses, producing graduates that contribute to and strengthen our economy and society, to the benefit of all. The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s world-ranked university. It is the leading New Zealand university in the QS World University Rankings 2019* and the highest ranked New Zealand university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.†
UniServices The partnerships This initiative is too large for a single organisation to host and manage. From the outset, it was apparent that It needs a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to develop and deliver solutions. The Platform has adopted the following partnership principle: ‘the right person and the right organisation for the job’. Partnerships will be formed on the basis of the following principles: • The core business line for each organisation is accepted as the main contributing area for each partner. For example, academics for research and education, consultants for design and implementation planning, contractors for the physical building and implementation execution. • A suitable governance structure will be placed around the platform with representation from each partner. • Each opportunity will be assessed on merit and the suitable lead organisation selected on the nature of the project. • Overlapping activities will be encouraged to build capacity within each organisation.
CONTACT research@uniservices.co.nz www.uniservices.co.nz | www.auckland.ac.nz Level 10, 49 Symonds Street, Auckland. Private Bag 92019 Victoria St West Auckland 1142 New Zealand *
http://tiny.cc/QS_UOA
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http://tiny.cc/Times_Rankings
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http://tiny.cc/Reuters_Top75 § http://tiny.cc/MIT_Report
At UniServices, we bring ideas to life. We partner with the best minds at the University of Auckland to apply intelligent thinking to ideas that have the potential to change the world. Together with our partners, we look to the future, imagine the possibilities, and innovate for public and private good. For over 30 years, we’ve collaborated with hundreds of organisations on thousands of projects in New Zealand and around the world. We are the most innovative university in New Zealand in Reuters’ Top 75: Asia’s Most Innovative Universities rankings.‡ We have also been identified by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study as one of the world’s leading entrepreneurial universities (MIT Skoltech Initiative).§