Engagement in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations: Pilot Fragility Assessment of an Informal Urban Settlement in Kiribati

The Asian Development Bank has piloted fragility assessments in selected urban settlements in the Pacific using a community-based approach and focusing on the impact of fragility on the delivery of basic services.

The fragility assessment of South Tarawa in Kiribati explores patterns of fragility related to urban development including delivery of critical urban services with focus on water and sanitation services. Bairiki Village, an urban settlement in South Tarawa, was a case study for the assessment.

The assessment's key objectives are to determine and better understand the patterns of fragility and resilience created by state-society relationships, as they relate to the delivery of urban services in South Tarawa, and to identify means of overcoming fragility to improve the quality of urban life in the community. The findings of this study should inform ADB's urban development activities in Kiribati, including the South Tarawa Sanitation Improvement Sector Project, ensuring that a fragility-sensitive approach is adopted to achieve better development results.