Foreword -- 3

Acknowledgements -- 4

Abbreviations and acronyms -- 7

Executive summary -- 9

1. Why Building Back Better matters for sustainable development -- 11

Introduction -- 12

Rebuilding needs to be forward looking -- 12

Reference frameworks for forward-looking rebuilding -- 18

Three keys for Building Back Better: People, finance and governance -- 20

Conclusions -- 21

References -- 21

Notes -- 23

2. Global good practices for Building Back Better -- 25

Introduction -- 26

Enabling forward-looking planning -- 27

Embedding preparedness in rebuilding -- 29

Activating targeted funding and partnerships-- 32

Ensuring effective time management -- 37

Making rebuilding people-centred -- 38

Conclusions -- 40

References -- 41

3. Rebuilding infrastructure for sustainable futures: Learning from concrete projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the OECD -- 43

Introduction -- 44

Embedding long-term planning for resilient road connectivity in Honduras after repeated storms -- 46

Rebuilding bridges in Indonesia -- 52

Rebuilding in Okuma Town, Japan after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake: a people centred and future-oriented approach -- 57

Rebuilding road corridors and embedding resilience across their asset lifecycle in Malawi after Cyclone Freddy in 2023 -- 64

Adapting governance and tools for rebuilding in Nepal after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake -- 68

Rebuilding river flood defences in Peru following the 2017 El Niño event -- 73

Rebuilding and climate proofing the road network following Cyclone Evan in Samoa -- 78

Conclusions -- 83

References 83