Improving the resilience of critical infrastructures: Evidence-based insights from a systematic literature review

Abstract

Critical Infrastructures (CIs) have become the backbone of the economy and functionality of the built environment among all nations. The absence of a universally accepted definition for CIs hinders one's attempts at building the resilience of CIs against disasters. Identification of damage reduction measures is vital in decision-making to achieve the required disaster resilience in following established frameworks. Target D of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) mainly emphasises the substantial reduction of disaster damages to the CIs through improving resilience within them. This study aims to develop a set of measures for achieving SFDRR target D using a systematic literature review. This study aims to identify a universal definition of CIs through critical indicators and propose optimum measures for enhancing the resilience of CIs. Twelve indicators are proposed under three aspects (resilience, environmental and sustainability, and socio-economic) to identify the CIs. Furthermore, eight measures were identified to achieve SFDRR target D. The identified measures were applied using CI examples to demonstrate that outcomes can be applied to enhance the existing governance systems of CIs.