Rapid urbanisation and globalisation are bringing increasingly complex issues to the forefront. Improper planning of human activities and over exploitation of the surrounding natural resources has successfully damaged the biodiversity and the natural processes. Today humanity is at a stage where these ecosystem services are essential for our existence but the resources have been exploited beyond their capacity. In addition, climate change adds additional long-term threats due to erratic weather patterns and extreme natural events. Coastal Lagoons are one such geographical feature where such complexities are very visible. Given the high fertility of the surrounding land and the biodiversity hosted by the lagoons, they are rich resource banks for settlements to thrive on. This has led to issues like water pollution, loss of biodiversity and urban encroachment. Despite protection from the international communities like the Ramsar Convention, most wetlands are degrading everyday. The need of the hour is to find innovative middle ground solutions, where the services can be availed without degrading the environment. Further, to plan these services in a way that they are instrumental in reviving and enriching the lost ecosystem. This project attempts to present on such design and strategy for the Muni-Pomadze Lagoon (MPL) in Ghana. Considering the complexity of the issues, the project chose a interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to produce a holistic solution for the site. Further, it uses the principles of Nature-Based Design and 4-P framework (People, Planet, Prosperity and Project) to guide and reflect on the design. (van Dorst & Duijvestein 2004) This report attempts to contribute to the research on interdisciplinary design processes. Further, it aims to be a starting point and guideline for the Forestry Commission and Municipal body of Winneba, for better conservation of the Muni Lagoon.

There are several prevailing issues regarding major altered states of extreme weather events. For instance, storm surges, sea-level rise, and droughts have all resulted in many regions left with critical systems and interdependencies exposed. The impact and risk of modern disasters have caused substantial adverse socio-economic impacts by damaging and disrupting infrastructure services that modern societies have become heavily reliant upon. Long-lasting disruptions can result in complete losses of essential services such as water, energy supplies, transportation and community networks.

The frequency of these extremities should now be considered as the new norm. Critical infrastructures play a crucial role in supporting society, and if major systems were to fail by a sudden shock, a ripple effect would be felt. A single failure in the system can easily cascade across a network of critical infrastructure (CI) that would render otherwise unaffected sectors inoperable. Presently, there are a myriad of issues in the UK governmental system, as there is little action being done to ensure service continuity and security of supply. Nor is there an agency that has an overall responsibility for defense against system failure.

Within the UK government, a long-term capital program has been launched to provide greater certainty and efficient planning in response to water defense infrastructure. However, the current model has no clear long-term objective for the level of flood resilience that the government is seeking to achieve. Although it will be impossible to prevent all types of flooding, the current planning system is too piecemeal, reactive and disjointed. Thus, this translates to the main research question: how to develop dynamic and adaptable strategies for vulnerable critical systems to address deep uncertainty and flood risk for the Thames Estuary Region?

The thesis aims to address several key elements:
•To develop a methodology and framework to understand how to assess and develop resilient critical infrastructure and services.
•Translating a spatial contingency plan while improving safety and living standards.
•To develop a set of propositions based on research-by-design with insight on up-scaling or replicability of the project.

The design interventions have the intent to increase safety parameters that encourages a faster response and recovery time while improving livability. However, the pitfall of designing without considering an extreme option of how we plan or develop cities can result in more risks compounding in the future. Economic hubs like London will continue to grow dependent on critical infrastructure and this will continue to stress the existing system. Not only will this remain to put pressure on the floodplain, but it will also create higher forms of exposure and risk. The concluding propositions involves a series of safety parameters, states of isolation, a trans-scalar feedback loop and the creation of emergency backbone services. The mindset of the project is not only to achieve physical integrity in assets but to also maintain essential services and operating performance. It is crucial that critical infrastructure systems should continue to grow, learn and adapt as time persists.

Governments and private and non-profit organisations from international to local levels have acknowledged the idea that more sustainable systems are required to reduce our ecological footprint (WWF, 2016, Jonkhoff, 2012). The food system is a very important aspect within our lives, socially as well as economically but it is also one of the most important causes of unsustainability. The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (AMA), a key player within the global food sector, is also working to a more sustainable system with their focus on a circular economy. This research outlines the fact that in order to reach a more sustainable economy, there should also be an emphasis on resilience. In analyzing the region, there were several dependencies highlighted within the food system. Within the aspects of production, retail and end of life, each are dependent on a handful of controlling and dominating stakeholders as well as unsustainable and uncircular practices. Thus, there is a heavy emphasis on the food system needing to adapt and change to growing demands and trends.

This led to our research question of, How can the food system become more resilient in the AMA to promote a sustainable circular economy? In our research, scenario planning and weather mapping were used to showcase and locate feasible opportunities for our goals and strategies within the AMA. The primary strategies to create resiliency within the food system were to decentralize, diversify and connect aspects related to various urban and agri-food trends. This project envisions a decentralized system that contains a dense network of diverse and independent stakeholders with localized sustainable projects. There is also an emphasis on creating smaller and shorter connections within the chain.This includes incorporating and empowering various smaller stakeholders and actors with positive incentives but also restricting dominating stakeholders with policies and regulations. In addition, through the creation of more transparency through integrated and multiscaled design solutions, this will increase awareness and promote healthy and sustainable practices within the system. Food island encourages a thriving circular economy that is resilient and thus more sustainable.