Cook Islands Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments

In the heart of the Pacific, the Cook Islands are on the frontline of climate change. Working with government and local subconsultants, Beca are undertaking Vulnerability & Adaptation Assessments for 15 Islands to inform enhanced resilience pathways.

For the Cook Islands, rising sea levels, extreme weather and resource scarcity aren’t just a frightening forecast, they are daily realities. However, the extent of the vulnerability of island communities to these impacts is largely undocumented. That’s why the Cook Islands Government engaged Beca to deliver a nationwide programme of Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) Assessments across all 15 islands – 12 inhabited and 3 uninhabited.

The purpose of these V&A Assessments is to provide a comprehensive baseline understanding of each island’s level of exposure and sensitivity to climate change, and their adaptive capacity at a community level, through using a multi-sectoral national approach. Our approach was grounded in a strong foundation of cultural respect and community empowerment. We teamed up with local consultants Teariki Rongo and Mike Allis (a former Beca employee), working alongside local facilitators to create a repeatable, nationally consistent methodology that reflects each island’s unique context.

Through inclusive engagement - focus groups, storytelling, and hands-on workshops - we ensured all local voices were heard, especially women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.

The result is a robust, evidence-based framework that can be embedded in national policy. It enables Cook Islands authorities to monitor climate impacts, prioritise adaptation investments, and secure future funding. More importantly, it gives communities the tools and agency to make everyday better by shaping their own climate-resilient futures.

Read Beca's reflections on this project and how we partnered with local communities in more depth here.