People-powered green spaces for climate and disaster resilience

In October, three PHD students from Griffith University presented their nature-based solution using public land to reduce flooding at the Natural Hazards Research Australia’s Disaster Challenge.

Their idea, From Verge to Vital: People-powered green spaces for climate and disaster resilience, is about transforming underused public spaces into smart, nature-based infrastructure that reduces disaster risks like floods and fires. What made this proposal stand out was that they each brought very different disciplinary knowledge and approaches to their proposal.

The Pitch

Anjalee Panditha (public health), Evelyn Liew (engineering), and

Sebastian Bernal Garcia

(environmental science), finalists in the National Disaster Challenge 2025, present their pitch in the video below.

Sir Mowington and the demonstration with the sponges help get their message through. Locals will see some familiar faces and sites in this video. Thanks to all who participated.

Interview

They reflect on the experience and what they have learned in this video.

Sebastian sums up the problem everyone working for change faces:

“I think the biggest challenge is to make people care and participate… that’s the key we have to solve… because if they do then …they can really push and we can make this real.” Sebastian Bernal Garcia

What’s Next?

In a city like Brisbane, with increasing flood problems, planting to slow and manage stormwater is a key part of dealing with more extreme rainfall events and flooding. And what better way to use residential land resumed under flood buyback schemes.

Let’s not forget that planting these spaces also addresses other issues like urban heat and the need to increase shade, biodiversity and habitat loss, and reimagining our streets and public spaces.

I often say that verge gardens are the key to getting people involved for building diverse networks and collaborations. But not just any verge garden. It matters how and what you plant, and the conversations and stories you tell around it. For more on that, see Garden on the Verge: A New Approach.

We are often told that cross-discipline and cross-sector collaborations are needed for change. Well done to Anjalee, Evelyn, and Sebastian for showing how we can do that.

Let’s keep the conversations going and make it real.