Building Back Circular: Post-disaster Recovery for Climate Resilience Innovation

The increasing frequency and severity of climate-related and human-induced disasters expose the limitations of conventional post-disaster recovery, which prioritises rapid reconstruction while reinforcing pre-existing vulnerabilities and resource inefficiencies. Conventional recovery approaches remain predominantly linear, prioritising rapid reconstruction to restore pre-disaster conditions while failing to address the structural vulnerabilities, resource inefficiencies, governance gaps, and socio-economic inequalities that perpetuate future risk. This chapter introduces Building Back Circular (BBC), a regenerative recovery paradigm that integrates circular economy principles into post-disaster planning and reconstruction. BBC is defined as a systems-based approach that replaces linear rebuilding with regenerative recovery by retaining material value, minimising waste, regenerating ecosystems, and strengthening the adaptive capacity of the built environment. The chapter examines circular interventions across building, community, and governance scales. Findings show that modular construction, bio-based and recyclable materials, material passports, design for disassembly, nature-based solutions, and digital material tracking significantly reduce embodied carbon, close material loops, and improve infrastructure resilience to future climate risks. Effective implementation depends on integrated policy frameworks, enabling regulation, and innovative financing mechanisms that shift recovery from fragmented pilots to systemic deployment. The chapter’s main contribution is the BBC, a scalable model aligning post-disaster recovery with circular economy strategies, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and Sustainable Development Goals. The chapter demonstrates how recovery can move beyond restoration to generate resilient infrastructure, green employment, circular value chains, and long-term resource security. It provides a transferable pathway for scaling regenerative recovery across diverse geographical and institutional contexts.