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Climate change adaptation and justice

REDLab’s work in climate change adaptation and socio-ecological justice tends to centre around Oceania and working with nature. ‘Ocean Cities’ of the Pacific, including Aotearoa are where urban landscapes and seascapes meet, where built and natural environments interface, and where human behaviour and urban development have profound impacts on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Ocean Cities are at the forefront of climate change consequences, urbanisation challenges, and other development pressures. Adaptation is urgently required. Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer great potential, however, nature-based urban design agendas and approaches to adaptation must be driven by Indigenous understandings of wellbeing and not perpetuate new forms of colonisation.

More about climate adaptation and decolonisation in Oceania: An Oceania urban design agenda linking ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, traditional ecological knowledge and wellbeing

Research Projects

NUWAO (Nature-based Urban design for Wellbeing and Adaptation in Oceania) 2021 – 2024
Pedersen Zari leads NUWAO, a project that aims to develop nature-based urban design solutions, rooted in Indigenous knowledges that support climate change adaptation and individual and community wellbeing in different contexts across Aotearoa and Oceania. This is a three year Marsden funded project.

REDLab climate adaptation and justice publications

Image by Pieta McAleer-Harding

Pedersen Zari (and co-authors) climate adaptation and justice publications:

Abstracts and links to these publications

  • 2022, Yates, A.; Pedersen Zari, M.; Bloomfield, S.; Burgess, A.; Walker, C.; Waghorn, K.; Besen, P.; Sargent, N.; Palmer, F. ‘A Transformative Architectural Pedagogy and Tool for a Time of Converging Crises’. Urban Science, Special Issue Nature-Positive Design and Development. Vol. 7, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7010001
  • 2021, Kiddle, G.L, Pedersen Zari, M., Blaschke, P., Chanse, V., Kiddle, R. ‘An Oceania urban design agenda linking ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, traditional ecological knowledge and wellbeing’. Sustainability, Special Issue: Responding to Climate Emergency: Design, Planning and Assessment of the Built Environment. Vol. 13, No. 12660.
  • 2021, Kiddle, G.L., Bakineti, T., Latai-Niusulu, A., Missack, W., Pedersen Zari, M., Kiddle, R., Chanse, V., Blaschke, P., Loubser, D. ‘Nature-based solutions for urban climate change adaptation and wellbeing: Evidence and opportunities from Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu’. Frontiers in Environmental Science, Special Issue: Nature-based Solutions for Natural Hazards and Climate Change. Vol. 9, No. 723166. Online.
  • 2021, Major, D.C., Blaschke, P., Gornitz, V., Hosek, E., Lehman, M., Lewis, J., Loehr, H., Major-Ex, G.A., Pedersen Zari, M., Vargas, M.J.V., Watterson, E., and Wejs. A. ‘Adaptation to climate change in small island settlements.’ Ocean & Coastal Management Vol. 212 No. 105789. Pg 1-6.
  • 2021, Marques, B., Freeman, C., Carter, L., and Pedersen Zari, M. ‘Conceptualising therapeutic environments through culture, Indigenous knowledge and landscape for health and well-being’. Sustainability. Vol. 13, No. 6 pg 9125.
  • 2020, Marques, B., Freeman, C., Carter, L., and Pedersen Zari, M. ‘Sense of place and belonging in developing culturally appropriate therapeutic environments: a review’. Societies. Vol. 10, No. 83 pg 1-18.
  • 2020, Pedersen Zari, M.,Blaschke, P., Jackson, B., Komugabe-Dixson, A., Livesey, C., Loubser, D., Martinez-Almoyna Gual, C., Maxwell, D., Rastandeh, A., Renwick, J., Weaver, S., Archie, K. ‘Devising urban ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) projects with developing nations: a case study of Port Vila, Vanuatu’. Ocean & Coastal Management. Vol. 184 pg 1-14.
  • 2019, Pedersen Zari, M., Kiddle, G. L., Blaschke, P. M., Gawler, S. & Loubser, D. ‘Utilising nature-based solutions to increase resilience in Pacific Ocean Cities’. Ecosystem Services, 38, pg 1-10.
  • 2010, Pedersen Zari, M. ‘Biomimetic design for climate change adaptation and mitigation’. Architectural Science Review (ASR), Vol. 53, No. 2, pages 172-183.
  • 2009, Pedersen Zari, M. ‘Changes in climate driving changes in architectural education’. ARCC Journal, vol.6, no. 1.

Current Collaborators:

  • Willy Missack (PhD candidate, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Maria Rodgers (PhD candidate, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Kahurangi Yakas (Master of Architecture candidate, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)

Past Collaborators:

  • Māia-te-oho Holman-Wharehoka (Master of Building Science, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Kirata Tekiera (Master of Climate Change Science and Policy candidate, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Jovaan Mataroa (Master of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • George Tamati (Master of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Pieta McAleer-Harding (Master of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Abby Neil (Master of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Dylan Majurey (Master of Architecture, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington)
  • Mikkel Poulsen (PhD, Aalborg University)