A significant percentage of the global population lives in areas that are and increasingly will be exposed to the effects of escalating climate change and associated extreme weather events, riverine and coastal flooding, sea level rise, storm surge, drought, fire, and extreme heat. In Australia, growing numbers of communities face the difficult decision to rebuild or relocate to more viable sites following climate-related disasters. The scale, typologies, and timeframes of planned relocation are complex, presenting significant challenges for communities while straining policymaking processes and capacities in unprecedented ways. While relocation will unfold over decades, the imperative is for governments, industries, and communities to begin planning now. There is a critical need to develop planned relocation strategies for communities at risk, where the long-term consequences of climate change are recognised beyond currently discernible impacts, and the complexity of multi-scaled relocation can be pre-emptively and strategically planned with community.

This seminar discusses a developing transdisciplinary project that seeks to initiate a dialogue around the urgent need for a National Relocation Strategy for Australian communities at risk in a changing climate. The project brings together researchers from the School of Art and Design, the Institute of Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, the University of Tasmania, the University of Canberra, and the University of Sydney, along with industry experts in the fields of architecture, design, science, disaster science, social science, and logistics.

Naomi Hay is a lecturer and convenor of the Design (Honours) program at the School of Art and Design, ANU. Her transdisciplinary research, collaborating with the Institute of Climate, Energy, and Disaster Solutions (ICEDS), examines the role of design in strengthening community resilience, adaptive capacity, and disaster risk reduction in a changing climate. She focuses on socially and environmentally responsible design projects, co-designing with community stakeholders, industry partners, regional councils, and not-for-profit groups. Current research projects include “Partnering with local communities in regional Australia to increase resilience to flood events” for the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, “Future Proofing Regional Communities: Resilience in a Changing Climate”, and “The People’s Catchment: Community-Led Flood Intelligence System” in the flood-prone Northern Rivers region of NSW.

Project Image by Milica Muminovic

This event will be held both on-campus and online via Zoom (a link to the online stream will be sent to registered attendees).

The School of Art & Design Seminar series will continue weekly on Tuesdays from 1-2pm, between 13 February and 14 May 2024.

To see information about upcoming speakers and to register to attend please follow this link https://shorturl.at/guw67

The School of Art & Design Seminar Series is co-convened by Dr Alex Burchmore, Alia Parker, and Elisa Crossing.

Contact the host of Naomi Hay | Relocating Australian Communities at Risk: Strategies and Actions in Time