A temporal social resilience framework of communities to disasters in Australia

Sanaz Khalili,Michael Harre,Philip Morley

doi:10.1186/s40677-018-0114-4

Sanaz Khalili, Michael Harre + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40677-018-0114-4

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Abstract

Despite the current interest in and need for studies in the conceptualization and measurement of social resilience to hazards and disasters, there remains significant research gaps within this area. This study seeks to fill one such gap via the provision of an innovative unified framework of social resilience across three disaster phases (i.e., pre-disaster, response and recovery) using a quantitative research method. We utilized the survey results from the New South Wales State Emergency Service volunteers to validate a conceptualization framework that aimed to enhance social resilience across all disaster phases. This study had shown the positive correlation between identified indicators and social resilience but varying in impact strength depending on disaster phase.

Highlights

Over the past few decades, and since the 1970s, the frequency of natural disasters per year has been increasing worldwide (Pollach, 2014)
By advancing the understanding of the indicators associated with social resilience, the present study provides implications for increasing those capacities identified as positive factors of social resilience or decreasing those identified as negative factors of social resilience
Based on the conclusion that all 14 social resilience indicators presented by Khalili et al (2015) were positively correlated with social resilience, but varying in impact strength depending on disaster phase, the present study found that social resilience was composed of varied indicators with different levels of effectiveness during different phases of a disaster

Summary

Introduction

Over the past few decades, and since the 1970s, the frequency of natural disasters per year has been increasing worldwide (Pollach, 2014). The frequency and impact of natural disasters is on an upward trajectory and, considering the future influence of climate change and population growth, is projected to continue to increase. Among these increases in natural disasters, the incidences of climate-related disasters have progressively increased over the last few decades (Leaning and Guha-Sapir, 2013). Nellemann et al (2008) predict that this incidence of climate-related natural disasters will only continue to increase, while the number of geophysical disasters has remained stable. Among these increases in natural disasters, the incidences of climate-related disasters have progressively increased over the last few decades (Leaning and Guha-Sapir, 2013). Nellemann et al (2008) predict that this incidence of climate-related natural disasters will only continue to increase, while the number of geophysical disasters has remained stable.

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