earthquake

typhoon

irrigation
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After the devastating 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, which measured 8.1 in magnitude, the Torre Latinoamericana survived largely intact, despite its towering 44-floor profile.
The Manobo community in the Philippines has adapted to life on water with floating houses that endure extreme weather such as typhoons.
At the 13th-century Alhambra in Granada, Spain, scientists are studying the medieval irrigation systems, aiming to glean insights applicable to modern practices.
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Despite being built in different time periods, regions and circumstances, and serving diverse purposes, all these architectural icons share a common trait: resilience.

Built
to
last

The role of architecture in constructing resilience

Resilient architecture begins with a careful consideration of the context, including how the environment influences design choices and how a building can minimize its environmental impact. It involves anticipating potential challenges, such as the threats the structure will face, and planning for swift recovery from any damage incurred. Additionally, it takes into account the needs of occupants by ensuring safety, comfort and the continuity of critical services such as water or electricity.

These and other foundational principles are instrumental in confronting major challenges. Here is how resilient architecture can enhance communities’ strength and safety and help them recover and thrive after crises.

Climate change
Building strength

Since the 1980s, each decade has been hotter than the preceding one, leading to a significant increase in wildfires, floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events.

This places significant strain on infrastructure designed to handle climate conditions that no longer exist, raising the risks of damage and disruption. For instance, infrastructure deficiencies, together with the impacts of climate change and the El Niño weather pattern, have substantially contributed to the deadly floods in southern Brazil. Or in cities, construction choices can generate ‘urban heat island’ effects that significantly increase temperatures compared to nearby rural regions.

The increasing impacts of climate change can exacerbate inequalities by restricting access to vital services such as water, healthcare or education, as well as economic opportunities, thereby deepening social and economic disparities and trapping vulnerable communities in a cycle of poverty.

The construction industry is responsible for 21 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, it holds a pivotal role in our efforts to cope with the impacts of global warming: investing in resilient infrastructure could save low- and middle-income countries US$4.2 trillion due to fewer disruptions and reduced economic impact over the lifetime of the infrastructure, a benefit of $4 for every $1 invested.

Fortunately, there are already effective methods available to make buildings and community spaces more resilient in the face of climate change. From limiting damage from storms to controlling temperatures indoors, the UN Environment Programme’s practical guide details a range of construction solutions.

Climate change
Adaptation strategies
Adaptation strategies are crucial for confronting changing climate conditions, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on the frontlines of the climate crisis. In Tuvalu, new elevated lands are being planned to remain above sea level beyond the year 2100. These buffer zones are designed to endure storms and protect communities, showcasing resilient infrastructure against environmental challenges. In remote Tavuya, Fiji, simple yet effective structural modifications to small rural infrastructure such as footbridges and jetties are offering locals an affordable way to access vital resources, while strengthening resilience against climate change impacts.

Resilient architecture includes nature-based solutions, which incorporate natural materials and processes into building and infrastructure design. Photo: UNDP Suriname

Renewable energy
Renewable energy is integral to resilient architecture too, since it reduces dependence on fossil fuels and shrinks the carbon footprint. Solar-powered and lighting efficient hospitals in Jamaica have cut costs while improving conditions for patients and staff. In Beskol, northern Kazakhstan, where winters can be extremely harsh, installing a modular boiler system that generates thermal energy from biomass wood waste within an educational centre has created a more comfortable environment for students to learn. Now, it’s warmer, more efficient and cheaper to maintain.

Use of renewable energy makes buildings and communities more resilient by reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. Photo: UNDP Mauritania/Freya Morales

Effective water management systems
Similarly, effective water management systems not only support sustainable resource use and mitigate flood risks, but also enhance water access. Some insights lie within traditional construction methods. Some 2,400 years ago, Sri Lanka developed an advanced system of tanks and canals to manage water in its dry regions, allowing for rice cultivation and ecological balance amidst frequent droughts and floods. Today, efforts are underway to rehabilitate these ancient canals to provide drinking water to homes and other buildings and enhance community self-sufficiency.

In Sri Lanka, 2,400-year-old canal systems are being rehabilitated to supply drinking water. Photo: UNDP Climate/Marta Baraibar

Decarbonizing building materials
Decarbonizing building materials by improving manufacturing processes or incorporating recycled materials, and using nature-based solutions, which involves integrating natural materials or processes in building design, are emerging trends with many benefits. In Uganda, a social enterprise is repurposing used plastic materials into durable timbers, roofing tiles and construction hardware. Meanwhile, in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, invasive sargassum seaweed is transformed into sturdy bricks to build more resistant and affordable homes.

In Mexico, invasive seaweed is transformed into sturdy and affordable building materials. Photo: UNDP Mexico/Emily Mkrtichian

Hazards
Building safety

In southeastern Türkiye near the Syrian border, when two earthquakes struck in December 2023, thousands of lives were lost and over 300,000 buildings toppled. Many survivors were left without homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. It marked the deadliest seismic disaster in the country's modern history, exacerbated by the vulnerability of the population and the lack of quake-resistant infrastructure.

Since the 1960s, the frequency of weather-related disasters has more than tripled. And while we cannot avert environmental hazards, we can design and prepare infrastructure to withstand them effectively.

Hazards
Risk strategies
Risk strategies, involving policies, regulations and actions to reduce, transfer and avoid potential risks, can enhance infrastructure resilience to hazards. In this regard, the Sendai Framework fosters global cooperation to integrate risk reduction into building projects and increase capacity in disaster preparedness and management. It outlines concrete measures to protect development gains against the threat of disasters.

The right building methods and materials can help to reduce, transfer and avoid risk from environmental hazards. Photo: UNDP Antigua and Barbuda/Kerrie Hall

Early warning and information systems
Early warning and information systems are essential in this scenario: with advance knowledge of imminent threats, authorities and communities can conduct evacuations and prevent damage to critical buildings such as hospitals and schools and to water and energy supply networks. Many countries – from Malawi to Georgia to Pakistan – are prioritizing the development of Early Warning Systems, including automatic weather stations to monitor and capture climate data. Mapping tools, such as the Building Resilience Index, are already in place to assess hazards and predict resilience in buildings, some with the help of artificial intelligence.

Strong data and effective early warning systems are critical for disaster preparedness and management. Photo: UNDP Honduras/Juliette Daugan

Specific materials
The use of specific materials can also guarantee safety and structural soundness. Along the Odisha coast in India, where cyclones frequently devastate kutcha homes made from materials like grass and bamboo, incorporating mortar and brick in new buildings has significantly increased resilience to adverse weather conditions, and improved the safety and quality of life of the communities.

With climate change driving more extreme weather, resilient architecture aims to create safer and more comfortable homes. Photo: Parimita Krishna/UNDP India

Ancient building techniques
Similarly, ancient building techniques can present effective solutions. Afghanistan provides a compelling example: leveraging traditional knowledge, local residents are harnessing vernacular architecture adapted to seismic activity. In the Sahel, ancient construction techniques, in the form of “Nubian vaults” are providing eco-friendly, affordable, cooler homes for families facing some of the world’s highest temperatures. These proven methods not only preserve cultural heritage but also foster both community and architectural resilience.

In Afghanistan, communities are looking to ancient building techniques to create buildings adapted to their context. Photo: UNDP Afghanistan

Building
futures

In a tumultuous world where conflicts and other crises intersect and overlap, communities without proper infrastructure face prolonged suffering, hindered recovery and increased vulnerability. The number of displaced people has increased every year for 12 years, leaving settlements abandoned, deteriorating or inaccessible, which exacerbates challenges in rebuilding and recovering, impedes access to vital services and disrupts local economies.


Amidst these challenges, resilient architecture can build hope. It can serve as the foundation to promote economic prosperity and social cohesion. For instance, quality spaces such as schools or streets can encourage positive interaction and nurture a sense of community belonging. Building back better after a crisis means incorporating the principles of resilient architecture, to ensure sustainability and strengthen the will of neighbours to stand together against future challenges.

Going home
Local infrastructure
Strategic planning
Hope floats in Ngarannam, Nigeria, where communities displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency are building a new village from scratch. This ambitious project includes more than 850 homes, a school, a hospital, a secure police outpost and a marketplace, enabling the community to recover from displacement, thrive in the face of ongoing challenges and foster long-term security and stability.
In Shabwa Governorate, in south-eastern Yemen, community contracting has become pivotal for enhancing local infrastructure amid conflict and climate change. Projects such as the rehabilitation of the Ba-Yahya irrigation channels enhance agricultural productivity, food security and economic empowerment through job creation and skills training.
Rebuilding and enhancing local conditions are some of the goals in Slavutych, Ukraine, a city shaped by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and now facing the impacts of war and a brief occupation by Russian forces. Strategic planning is underway to restore infrastructure that can reverse depopulation and revitalize the entrepreneurship that the city was previously known for.

When architecture embraces resilience as its foundation, it not only ensures that our homes and infrastructure are built to last but also creates structures that guide us towards a safer and more sustainable future.

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