Communities must build resilience to natural disasters and can no longer expect governments to step in and save them. This was the standout message in a session on climate change adaptation and resilience at Green Cities this year.

 

Mara Bun, CEO of Green Cross Australia, said we are now living in a time when communities need to step up and governments to step back.

 

"Communities have to learn resilience - the ability to bounce back from major events. Climate change and the effects of extreme weather events are tilting on its head what we expect governments to be," Mara said.

 

We also need to be looking at new ways of rebuilding community infrastructure after extreme events.

 

"We have to wake up to recurrent patterns in weather. Here is a need for more haste, less speed. Governments shouldn't be rebuilding some infrastructure at all and by rushing in we are missing the opportunity to use new technologies and methods for building infrastructure," Mara said.

 

Through the Harden-Up and Build it Back Green projects, Green Cross is providing the tools foir Australian communities to develop resiliance to natural disasters and, when disaster strikes, rebuild sustainably.

 

Read Lynne Blundell's full article at The Fifth Estate. She also interviews David Singleton, chairman of the Australian Green Infrastructure Council, and Adam Davies, environment practice leader at Manidis Roberts.