With much of the Asia-Pacific’s population concentrated along coastlines and/or river valleys, many in our region are vulnerable to severe (and increasing) climate events including sea level rise storms, tsunamis, cyclones, flooding and drought: Queensland is as vulnerable as Vanuatu or the Mekong or Indus Deltas. Answering the challenge means not only dealing with geographic and social ecologies, but processes of transition and change. The opportunity is to see design as a core social process, integrated with the governance, economic and ethical systems which allow the creation of desirable places.