Welcome to Part 2 of our series focused on the resilience and infrastructure challenges currently facing the Pacific Islands. Part 1 - ‘Building Climate resilience in the Pacific: Insights from Current and Future Efforts’ can be viewed here.
In the Cook Islands archipelago, local communities face ever-growing challenges associated with climate change. Rising sea levels, severe weather events and rising temperatures all threaten the traditional way of life and their deep attachment to ancestral land.Despite these challenges, the strength of social cohesion, the inbuilt knowledge of combining tradition with technology and the profound care for future generations which Cook Islanders possess provide inherent resilience.
Partnering with local communities to build resilience
Since June 2023 a dedicated Beca team of climate resilience and social specialists has been exploring these many challenges and the heightened vulnerability to climate change faced by Cook Island communities.
Image (Left to right): Ngametua Mokoroa, Mike Allis, Jo Healy, Teariki Rongo
With an on-the ground engagement team led by Jo Healy (Social Impact Specialist), we have been working with local communities, gathering invaluable knowledge of local sensitivities to climate change impacts and the adaptive capacity that exists across a range of sectors. These sectors include health, education, built environment, biodiversity, food security, water security and economic livelihood.
Based on this work, we now have a comprehensive baseline understanding of the existing vulnerability of each specific island and the opportunities to build the natural resilience of each community through future adaptation efforts.
Recognising the diversity of perspectives and lived experiences - a key component of our work, has included participatory mapping of current and future climate concerns and solutions with a wide range of community members. We've also facilitated focus groups with key community members such as local women’s groups, disability services, fisherman and growers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face.
Beca's commitment to making every day better for these vulnerable communities is evident in our culturally sensitive approach to engagement. This included involving trusted local representatives within our team, translating materials and engagements into local dialects (Cook Islands Māori) and adopting multiple different engagement tools ranging from surveys, discussion groups, sticky note identification of areas of concern on maps and separate targeted meetings. This approach has allowed for the collation of an extensive set of data and inclusion of diverse parts of the community whom expressed that they often did not feel heard. This engagement has supplemented existing available technical studies and informed our tailored adaptation interventions, and identification of potential barriers for future implementation.
Cook Islands Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments: Navigating the journey to climate resilience
Partnering with Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) and local subconsultants Teariki Rongo, along with individual local island facilitators, Beca have undertaken the Cook Islands Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments for 12 inhabited and 3 uninhabited Islands across the archipelago. A key early stage to the assessment was developing a repeatable vulnerability and adaptation assessment methodology, whilst training local island facilitators and other stakeholders in its use.
To facilitate this, innovative ‘vulnerability indices’ were developed that guide users through a series of non-technical questions on adaptive capacity and sensitivity across all relevant sectors, to build a full picture and rating of vulnerability. The indices will enable future on-island users to repeat the assessment in a consistent way, whilst providing good learning and development in the assessment of vulnerability to climate change.
Suggested adaptation planning pathways over the short, medium and long term have been developed based on key concerns identified by the community and what will work practically on the ground to address key areas of vulnerability. Most concerns relate to essential components that will allow the community to continue to live on their island as long as possible. The pathways therefore focus on water security, critical infrastructure, and the availability of land as core requirements.
Image: This project utilised several methods to allow all voices to be heard. This included education and awareness raising workshops (pictured), surveys and targeted one on one meetings.
Cushla Loomb, Beca’s Project Director, says:
”A key aspect of the vulnerability assessment was considering the specific aspects of community life that contribute to their existing climate resilience and seeking to maximize this natural adaptive capacity through proposed future measures. For example, the strong social cohesion across Cook Islands communities supports their most vulnerable citizens when acute climate events like tropical cyclones occur and measures that strengthen this cohesion, such as formal water sharing arrangements, will help with future resilience.”
Through this project the voices of Cook Islanders were incorporated and the adaptation measures and pathways developed are culturally sensitive, reflecting community desires. Final delivery of the complete set of Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment reports, including a separate atoll impact analysis was provided in February 2025 - providing a pathway of interventions based on the key risks and vulnerabilities identified over the next 50-100 years.
Our proud experience making everyday better in the Cook Islands
Our understanding of the Cook Islands and their unique geographic and cultural context has been developed over several years, through delivering other projects such as the Avatiu Port Upgrade and the Avatiu Punanganui Market Bridge Replacement. Each of these projects directly addressed aspects of vulnerability and adaptation to the effects of climate change. These initiatives not only enhance local infrastructure but also incorporate futureproofing against sea-level rise and more severe weather impacts, thus securing critical transport and emergency routes for the community.
The Pa Enua Action for Resilient Livelihoods (PEARL) project, another initiative Beca has been involved with, aims to build and implement an integrated approach to increase the adaptive capacity of remote island communities and ecosystems to disaster risk and climate change impacts. The project focuses on strengthening national and local capacity for monitoring and decision-making, establishing climate-resilient water management instruments, and raising awareness to revitalise agriculture production systems.
As this project is nearing closure, it is clear the Cook Islands are not passive victims of climate change. Led by the Government, the unwavering spirit of local communities and with support from specialists such as Beca, they are actively adapting and preparing for increased resilience. The journey ahead is filled with learning and growth, and the shared commitment to making everyday better from all parties remains steadfast!
If you would like to know more about this project, the case study can be read here. Learn more about Beca’s Pacific Development capabilities here.
Image: Aerial view of Cook Islands