Climate adaptation is all set to take centre stage in Ōtautahi Christchurch

by Stephen Olsen, LAA Curator

The University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha is on the cusp now of co-hosting the 8th international Adaptation Futures Conference (AF2025) from 13 to 16 October at the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Following on from the precursory countdown published on Landscape Architecture Aotearoa in August, this is a now-or-never opportunity to flag some advance details about the programme for this important flagship conference of the World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP) and premier international climate change adaptation event before it commences.

I’m fortunate to be part of the designated media contingent present at Adaptation Futures, and in addition to seeking out content for LAA will be posting photos and comments to @laaotearoa on Instagram. I can be contacted easily by email to laaotearoa@nzila.co.nz and am always more than happy to be directed by readers towards ideas and topics that interest you most.

The AF2025 programme itself features 13 plenary speakers – pictured above – and by the end of the event there will have been something like 328 papers presented (some online), 88 panels, 60 workshops, 25 knowledge cafes and a mix of other happenings; inclusive of hands-on activities, a poster programme and a climate arts outreach programme.

On Thursday 16 October, day four of AF2025, attendees will go into the field for a series of full and half-day living labs sponsored by the Ministry for the Environment. There’s also an afterburner on Friday 17 October with options to enrol for one of four different Post-Conference Workshops/ Wānanga:

Navigating AF2025’s Thematic Structure

AF2025’s thematic structure is constituted under seven major themes and ‘matching’ sub-themes (grouped as question-driven emerging topics), as set out below and given a full explanatory context on the conference website under Conference Themes.

1. Indigenous Innovation and Leadership

  • Evolving Indigenous Knowledge Systems

  • Indigenous Governance and Legal Systems

  • Intersectional and Community-Led Adaptation

  • Resilience through Cultural Continuity

  • Capacity Building and Partnerships

  • Decolonizing Finance and Adaptation

2. Ocean, Islands, Futures

  • Blue Pacific Continent

  • Pacific Peoples Prosperity

  • Blue Food Resilience and Food Sovereignty

  • Ocean biodiversity protection, progress and limits

  • Security in a changing climate

3. Cities, Settlements, and Infrastructure

  • Advancing Adaptive Capacity

  • Governing for Just Transitions in the Anthropocene

  • Resilient infrastructure

  • Insuring For Adaptation

  • Energy-Transport And Systems change

4. Food, Water and Biodiversity nexus

  • Best practices

  • Biodiversity and Indigenous peoples

  • Biosecurity and Technology Transfer

  • Rural and Biodiversity Health

  • Effective meteorological services and financing

  • Regenerative ecological practices

5. Health, Wellbeing, and Future Generations

  • UN Pact for the Future

  • Co-benefits and Trade-offs

  • Wellbeing Economy and Holistic approaches

6. The Art of Climate Adaptation and Education

  • Best Arts Practices

  • Artistic Endeavour

  • Strategic Communication

  • Education

  • Media and Technology

7. Beyond Adaptation

  • Losses and Damages

  • Scenarios And Futures Thinking

  • Continuity and Contestation

  • Climate Litigation

A SPECIAL AID

As veteran conference-goers will appreciate, sifting and navigating your way through a complex programme is no easy matter. With this conundrum in mind, LAA has collated an ‘at-a-glance’ listing of programme content as a downloadable PDF here.

Please note this is definitely no replacement or substitute for the offical programme located at adaptationfutures2025.com/programme and our ‘at-a-glance’ listing should not be relied on as a fully comprehensive reference (ie. for all programme content from the order of proceedings through to up-to-date timings and accompanying speaker/ presenter/ panelist information the sole reference is the official programme).

A Mega-Gathering

In correspondence with the 750+ moving components of this event, the scale of in-person and virtual participation will be huge. By a rough reckoning the individual speakers, panelists and workshop participants alone who will be part of AF2025, approach or exceed the 1000 mark.

Large contingents of programme participants/ presenters will be in Ōtautahi from Australia (100+), Canada (70+), United Kingdom (50+), USA (50+), Germany (30+), South Africa (30+) and India (20+). Further countries represented across the conference programme can be broken down as follows:

  • PACIFIC – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu

  • ASIA – Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

  • AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST – Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, Zimbabwe

  • EUROPE – Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey

  • SOUTH/ CENTRAL AMERICA – Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay

Unsurprisingly people appearing on the programme as direct contributors from within Aotearoa New Zealand will account for an approximate presence of 200, in different capacities and from numerous organisations.

Those organisations include: Allis and Co, Aotearoa Society of Adaptation Professionals, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Arup New Zealand Limited, Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, Auckland University of Technology, Aukaha , Bay of Plenty Regional Council, BECA, Boffa Miskell, Buller District Council, Buller High School , Cawthron Institute, Christchurch City Council, Climate Change Commission | He Pou A Rangi, Dunedin City Council, E Oho! Awakening Aotearoa, Earth Sciences New Zealand, East Coast Exchange, Egis NZ Limited, Environment Canterbury, Environmental Defence Society, Environmental Protection Authority, GNS Science, Groupe Huit New Zealand Limited, Haskoning NZ, ImpactLab, Isthmus Group, Jacobs, KiwiConsult, KLA Limited, Knect, Kōmanawa Solutions Ltd, Koru Environmental, KPMG, Lincoln University / Te Whare Wānaka O Aoraki, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Massey University, Michael Davis Consultants, Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Health, Next Generation Conversation, Ngai Tahu, NIWA, NZ Climate Change Research Institute, Ōnuku – Wairewa, Otago Polytechnic, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pacific Ocean and Fisheries, Pattle Delamore Partners Ltd, PEERS Oceania, Pegasus Health PHO, Primary Insights Ltd, Pūhoi Stour Ltd, Rautāpatu Foundation, Resilient Westport, ResOrgs, Scion Research Ltd, South Dunedin Community Network, Stantec, Synaptek Studios, Tagata Moana Trust, Tangata Atumotu Trust, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Tāwhaki Joint Venture, Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau, Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata, Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Whakaue, Te Taumutu Rūnanga , Te Tira Whakamātaki, Te Wānanga O Aotearoa, Te Whare Wananga O Awanuiarangi, Te Whatu Ora Health, The Catalyst Group, Think Beyond, Tiaki Institute, Toha Network, Tokona Te Raki – Māori Futures Academy, Tonkin + Taylor, Traverse Environmental, Unitec, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, University of Otago, University of Waikato, Urban Intelligence, Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka, Wakatū Incorporation, Whareorino School, WSP

Co-Convenors for AF2025 - both from the University of Canterbury - are Professor Bronwyn Hayward and Distinguished Professor Steven Ratuva, backed by a Steering Committee of 10.

Climate Adaptation, #Around-the-motu, #Around-the-worldStephen Olsen