Build Resilience Capacity Research Articles

Resilience policies in China: an analysis of central-level policies

ABSTRACT In response to global compound risks, resilience has been incorporated into China’s national governance discourse. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of 88 central-level policies building resilience capacity in China, to refine policy design to address complex risks more effectively. A comprehensive two-dimensional “policy tool-application field” analysis framework is developed based on policy tool theory and employs bibliometrics and content analysis methods. By extracting 210 policy analysis units corresponding to 289 coding reference points, we unveil the structural characteristics, policy themes, and distribution of policy tools on resilience building at the central level. Results show a notable upward trend in policy publication, forming a multi-agency policy-making network. We observe an imbalance in the structure of policy tools, with a strong reliance on environment-based policy tools. Policy tools are configured across all application fields. Supply-based policy tools are primarily applied for environmental and technological resilience, while demand-based tools find greater utilization in economic and organizational resilience dimensions. However, there is a neglect of social resilience. This paper recommends integrating policy tools to bolster resilience in diverse fields, and how to assess risks and their dynamic adjustments in resilience building as a significant direction in the future.

Paving the way out of destitution: Does resilience capacity matter? Panel data evidence from rural Ethiopia

This paper examines the effect of shocks on destitution, vulnerability to destitution, and its dynamics and how resilience mediates the relationship between shocks and destitution based on three waves of the Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey and applying econometric models. Alkire and Foster's intensity approach and the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis approach were employed to compute the destitution and resilience indices. The findings show that destitution and households vulnerable to becoming destitute have increased over time due to concurrent and recurrent exposure to shocks. The result also reveals that the distribution of the destitute exhibits a distinct spatial heterogeneity among regions more vulnerable, tending to have many destitute. We also find a genuine state dependence on destitution. Therefore, a destitute in the preceding year is more likely to be destitute in the subsequent years. The econometric results confirm that enhancing the rural non-farm economy and investing in irrigation, market, and road infrastructure have a role in reducing destitution. However, shocks, land fragmentation, loans, female headship, and dependency ratio put households at the most significant risk of destitution. Results also show that commercialization and literacy reduce destitution. Building resilience capacity also emerged as the vital mediator in escaping destitution in the presence of shocks. The spatial disparity highlights the need for strategies designed using a territorial approach. Critical for policy uptake, the findings suggest putting in place coherent preemptive and redemptive policies to have a far-reaching impact on reducing destitution and vulnerability.

The Future Is Scary!: A Job Search Scenario Planning Exercise to Encourage Student Resilience Capacity and Reduce Stress

Searching for jobs is a stressful process for students. When faced with unknowns of the future, many students avoid proactively planning their job search. This article describes an exercise, rooted in scenario planning, which is a tool widely used during an organization’s strategy development process. To help students prepare for the job search process, we apply this tool to help with their current job searching. In a set of steps, students brainstorm forces affecting their job search process, develop a range of possible futures for these forces, and analyze the implications of each. This exercise helps students build resilience capacity by directing them to make sense of their future job search and reduce the uncertainty around it. Based on pretest-posttest data, students ( N = 71) report that the exercise significantly reduced stress about their own job searches and increased positive mood. Most students also agreed that scenario planning can help with understanding how to prepare and approach different job search situations and can be a useful tool for dealing with future unknowns. Exercise materials, detailed directions for implementation, and suggestions for debriefing are included in this article to allow instructors to implement the exercise in their own classes.

Building Resilience Capacity in Young Children: Practical Insights for Early Childhood Educators

By supporting children’s resilience, educators help students who have experienced trauma benefit from learning programs and environments.

P43 Conceptual Model to Assess the Resilience Capacity of School Meal Programs: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis

<h3>Background</h3> Unprecedented school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic brought into question the resilience capacity of school meal programs. Resilience capacity is defined as the capacity to endure shocks and stressors including absorptive capacity (persistence), adaptive capacity (incremental adjustment), and transformative capacity (change). Resilience Capacity Model assesses the resilience capacity of a system based on the actors and corresponding components of that system. Resilience capacity has been explored in school nutrition setting but a Resiliency Capacity Model addressing school meal provision is lacking. <h3>Objective</h3> Qualitative exploration of a Resilience Capacity Model to assess the resilience capacity of school meal programs. <h3>Study Design, Settings, Participants</h3> Assisted by PRISMA, a systematic evaluation of peer-reviewed full-text articles published between 2005-2020 was performed. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Qualitative and quantitative studies explored the effect of school meal programs or in-school interventions on child food security that accounts for resilience capacity of school meal programs. Thematic analysis was used to identify factors associated with strategies for building resilience capacity. <h3>Results</h3> Of 406 articles identified via online search, 32 full-text articles met inclusion criteria. Based on the systematic review and thematic analysis, it was found that strategies to build resilience include food availability, food accessibility, food quality, education, training, parent/teacher support, and administrative response. The Resilience Capacity Model to assess resilience capacity of school meal programs fits well in the context of school nutrition. This model can be used to assess whether the strategies adopted during unprecedented circumstances lead to a resilience or a vulnerability pathway. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The findings of the systematic review of literature support that Resilience Capacity Model that accounts for identified factors can be used to assess the resilience capacity of school meal programs. A systematic assessment of resilience capacity can help to improve school meal program operations in times of crisis or during/after disasters.

Factors that inhibit and promote resilience following childhood maltreatment: A qualitative exploration of practitioner perspectives

The negative impacts of childhood maltreatment are vast and span multiple domains. Recently, studies have examined the characteristics of maltreated children who exhibit a lack of negative outcomes; in other words, children who displayed resilience. Though resilience has become a more prevalent topic, the perspectives of practitioners working with children following maltreatment have been inadequately represented. The purpose of the current study was to explore the perspectives of practitioners working with maltreated children to better understand the factors that promote and inhibit resilience. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were completed with practitioners who provide services to maltreated children (N = 27). After audio-recording and professional transcription, the research team engaged in a process of thematic coding and analysis, with collaborative theme development. Study codes yielded two primary themes relating to factors that inhibit or promote resilience among maltreated children. Internal factors referred to characteristics of the individual child that could influence their likelihood of displaying resilience. External factors referred to context and circumstances outside of the child that can impact the development and display of resilience. Practitioners understood resilience as the interaction of internal and external factors which influence the degree to which children display resilience following maltreatment. The findings help to incorporate practitioner perspectives into current conceptualizations of resilience. This study carries implications for increased reliance on translational research in the resilience field, reflecting the perspectives and needs of direct service providers. Further, the results help us to better understand how practitioner perspectives shape the interventions they deliver to build resilience capacity.

Risk Perception, Accounting, and Resilience in Public Sector Organizations: A Case Study Analysis

There are various factors that can affect an organization’s ability to overcome a crisis and the uncertainties that arise thereafter. Little is known about the process of organizational resilience and the factors that can help or prevent it. In this paper, we analyzed how public sector organizations build resilience/traits of risks awareness, and in doing that, we derived some elements that could affect the process of resilience. In particular, drawing on the conceptual framework proposed by Mallak we analyzed an in-depth case study in a public sector organization (PSO) identifying some contextual dimensions implicated in the process of building resilience. In our analysis, we identified two main elements that affect resilience: Risk perception and the use of accounting. Results shown how risk perception is perceived as a trigger, while accounting is considered as an enforcer in the process of building resilience capacity. The results also show the way accounting is implicated in the management of austerity programs and supporting the creation of a resilient public sector organization. In our case, the risk has become an opportunity for change. In the face of these budget cuts, management began refocusing the company’s mission from infrastructure maintenance to providing services with a market-based logic.

Perception of and response to climate change by maize-dependent smallholders

Smallholder crop producers in sub-Saharan Africa are adversely affected by climate change because of their reliance on rain for crop production. Promoting adaptation interventions at local scale is unlikely to be effective without understanding farmers' views on climate change. Our study analyzes climate change perceptions and responses by maize-dependent smallholders in Ethiopia. Household-level data on farmers' climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies were collected. In addition, meteorological data were obtained from local weather stations for the period 1985-2015. Descriptive statistics, standard rainfall anomalies, thematic content methods and binary logistic models were used to analyze the relationship between climate change perceptions and adaptations. Findings show that nearly all farmers perceived climate change through increased hot and warm days and nights as well as decreased precipitation volumes. Results indicate that farmers perceive shortened seasonal rainfall duration in terms of both late start and early end. Farmers employ a range of strategies, notably cropping date adjustment, improved crop variety use, crop diversification, agroforestry practices and seasonal migration to adapt to climate change. Farmers' adaptation decisions were mainly associated with their climate change perceptions as well as socio-economic factors such as education level and farm experience. It is, therefore, suggested that recognizing farmers' knowledge and experience on climate change would help develop context-specific, flexible adaptation strategies that better build resilience capacity.

Organizational resilience of family business: case study

Motivation: Organizational resilience, understood as an ability to survive in harsh market conditions, captures increased research consideration in recent years. The same applies to family businesses that attracted significant attention lately. Although the interest in the topic grows, there are still remaining questions to be answered. Aim: In the paper we focus on identifying factors affecting organizational abilities to adapt to dynamic, hostile and complex environment especially when disruptive events occur in the environment. Literature studies in the topic allowed development of research proposition — organizational resilience should help to survive negative occurrences in the environment and family business should focus their attention on building resilience capacity while it may allow and facilitate longevity and well-being of an organization. Results: We illustrate this proposition with the use of two family company cases from the Silesian Voivodeship. The first is a case of a large production company that existed between 2000 and 2013, and after receiving increased growth in 2005–2012 period it went bankrupt in 2014 after two large contracts. The second is a case of a developer company from the same region that started its operation in the same period and managed to develop both its market and products in years. We compare the data flowing from interviews with the owners (that are also managers of these companies) using Eisenhardt (1989, pp. 532–550) methodology and that leads to creation of propositions for future research. Research results indicate there are several factors influencing ability to cope with critical situations. Firstly, we identified that professionalization of management of family business leads to better chances to survive in the environment. Secondly, we conclude that awareness to weak signals diminishes the probability of risky behaviors and helps to survive in dynamic, hostile environment.

Adaptation actions for integrated climate risk management into urban planning: a new framework from urban typologies to build resilience capacity in Santos (SP)

Many coastal cities have recently recognized the need to adapt to climate change, given the increased frequency of disasters cause by severe weather events. Based on concepts about vulnerability and resilience, we identify the limitations and opportunities of synergy between different areas of municipal action. This paper explores the emerging linkages between city planning process and environmental disasters prevention in Santos (Brazil). To help visualize this process, we explore the emerging linkages between low-lying lands affected by sea level rise (SLR) and weather related hazards, such as floods and landslides, and we proposed some urban typologies to assist the identification of risk areas that reflect the importance of the urban design as a part of a broader set of decisions. The government agencies and political coalitions are reconnecting in the city planning process by working to change the social and political institutions to make local areas at risk safest places. A framework of decision making process through urban typologies addressed to the political conditions and some institutional arrangements occurred in order to promote disaster risk management. In this context, important programs were addressed to residential areas using legal/formal mechanisms to provide a significant reduction of disasters. In order to meet long-term global target for disasters reduction, it is important to realize that the choices are not permanent solutions because it is a continuous process that can be updated based on realistic solutions, but the experiences in Santos represent pioneering efforts in Brazil that define urban rules and adaptive policies with substantial responsibilities for local government and society, demanding ongoing tracking as they evolve and become mature.

Urban landscape sustainability and resilience: the promise and challenges of integrating ecology with urban planning and design

The twenty-first century global population will be increasingly urban-focusing the sustainability challenge on cities and raising new challenges to address urban resilience capacity. Landscape ecologists are poised to contribute to this challenge in a transdisciplinary mode in which science and research are integrated with planning policies and design applications. Five strategies to build resilience capacity and transdisciplinary collaboration are proposed: biodiversity; urban ecological networks and connectivity; multifunctionality; redundancy and modularization, adaptive design. Key research questions for landscape ecologists, planners and designers are posed to advance the development of knowledge in an adaptive mode.