The inter-connectedness of environmental issues requires that efforts to ameliorate one problem be evaluated to ensure that actions are not ineffective, inefficient, or exacerbate other problems. Climate change adds an additional conundrum, since past is no longer prologue. If planning and management of natural and built systems are based on historical trends, ecological and infrastructure limits will be exceeded. Researchers must help practitioners develop suitable indicators, best practices, and ‘lessons learned’ from the wealth of experience in the international development arena to guide future resilience efforts. The confluence of the Sustainable Development Goals and Multilateral Environmental Agreements offers a unique opportunity to advance the resilience agenda internationally, and the academic community has a key role to play.