Building Climate Resilience in the Pacific & Aotearoa
After decades working with governments globally to adapt to the effects of climate change, Amy Armstrong is developing transformative strategies and building climate resilience from her new home of Aotearoa New Zealand, in the Pacific.
Building on her background in climate, cities and conservation Amy is partnering with a range of organisations to design programmes and develop policy responses to complex problems. This includes leading the design of a new Resilience Accelerator programme to develop a pipeline of climate adaptation projects in the Pacific region, for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF). During her five years leading their Resilient Reefs initiative, Amy had observed a growing focus from funders on ocean health and reef restoration, yet Pacific communities were struggling to access the support. In response to this ‘marketplace’ challenge, Amy and her team designed a new ‘Accelerator’ programme to support the scale and pace of reef resilience initiatives. Launched in August at the Pacific Island Forum, GBRF’s Reef Action Accelerators programme will be partnering with Pacific communities from 2025, working to connect funding commitments to building ocean resilience and biodiversity with a strong pipeline of initiatives grounded in Pacific plans and priorities.
Pacific Advisors to GBRF's Resilient Reefs Initiative
Left image: Amy with partners in Koror State Government, Palau; Right image: Amy facilitating an EHF Hui with fellow Fellow Chibuike Emmanuel
Amy used these same collaborative problem-solving skills to support the development of the ‘Ocean Roadmap for New Zealand,’ an initiative led by fellow EHF Fellow Rebecca Mills and The Lever Room. The Ocean Roadmap explores opportunities for how Aotearoa NZ might navigate the complex landscape of ocean management and conservation in the future.
Amy says:
“There are so many opportunities for Aotearoa New Zealand to advance climate mitigation, economic development, and biodiversity protection goals through more strategic and ambitious actions within its marine environment and in partnership with neighbours across the blue continent.”
Amy has also been working with the global NGO Centre for Public Impact, considering how their climate cities initiative might connect, support and accelerate climate action among councils in Aotearoa NZ. In the exploratory stage, Amy is engaging with local government to identify strategies to accelerate ‘mainstreaming’ of climate action policies and resilience planning.
Amy’s conservation and climate resilience collaborations, combined with programme design and policy development expertise, are helping create sustainable solutions for the benefit of Aotearoa NZ and the Pacific.
Amy also supported EHF Fellows Maya Soetoro and Zelda Keller, co-founders of The Institute of Climate and Peace, during their visit to Aotearoa NZ, contributing to a broader climate conversation. During a 'Talk Story' event in Wellington, Amy shared insights from her work with the ‘Resilient Reefs Initiative,’ inspiring discussions on climate resilience and community-driven solutions and helping show parallels between global climate action and local efforts.
Amy at the Institute for Climate and Peace’s 'Talk Story' event
In addition, Amy supported EHF Fellows Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom and Eric Dahlstrom with their 2023-24 Space for Planet Earth Challenge, as she facilitated the Finalists and Awards event, celebrating the young teams leveraging space technologies and data to tackle methane emissions and climate change.
Amy’s ongoing efforts continue to drive meaningful progress in marine conservation and climate resilience, is showing how Aotearoa NZ can be a leader in innovative, sustainable practices.
Amy is part of the Fellow group Iti Rearea, which had its Welcome Experience in 2022. Learn more about Amy via the Fellow Directory on our website.
Find out more about Amy’s work at www.weavercollaborations.com
A shorter version of this story appeared in the 2023/24 Hillary Institute & EHF Annual Report on page 26.
