Resilience-building Initiatives Research Articles

Coastal vulnerability assessment to multi hazards in the exposed coast of Southeastern Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a maritime nation situated on the northern side of the Bay of Bengal (BoB), blessed with substantial natural resources and opportunities. However, natural disasters and climate-induced hazards are threatening these opportunities as well as destroying the recourses. Coastal vulnerability assessment aids in the prevention of loss of life and resource devastation since it provides forewarning of impending calamitous consequences and facilitates taking mitigative measures. The study has endeavored to make a composite coastal vulnerability index (CVI) for the exposed coast of the southeastern coastal region of Bangladesh, combining physical and social vulnerability indexes using several physical and social parameters. The CVI was developed by using nine physical parameters, namely (a) Coastal Elevation, (b) Coastal Slope, (c) Annual Average Rainfall, (d) Storm Surge Height, (e) Soil Salinity, (f) Average Wind Speed, (g) Rate of SLR, (h) Soil Permeability, (i) Mean Tidal Range and six social parameters namely (a) Literacy rate, (b) Household Structure, (c) Land Use Land Cover (LULC), (d) Population Density (e) Number of Disabled People and (f) Number of Population (Age: <5 & >65). With the aid of field and secondary data, thematic layers of each physical and social parameter were prepared by defining five distinct vulnerability classes (i.e., very high, high, moderate, low, and very low) and assigning vulnerability ranks. The final CVI was estimated using geospatial techniques such as GIS and remote sensing, coupled with Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI) and Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and relevant values were categorized into five distinct groups as before. The findings show that 25.9% of the exposed coast in the southeast coastal region, which comprises Banshkhali, Chakaria, Maheshkhali, and Cox's Bazar Sadar is high to very high vulnerable to multiple hazards. Comparatively, 28.29% have been classified as moderately vulnerable, and the remaining 45.8% in the areas of Hathazari, Mirsharai, Sitakunda, Sandwip, and Chittagong City (Kotwali), Kutubdia show that they are very low to low vulnerable to such multi-hazards. Based on this vulnerability assessment result, sustainable coastal management policy-making and development planning can be taken to mitigate the risk and loss of the southeastern coastal region due to climatic hazards and natural disasters such as floods and storm surges. The outcome information will also help to make an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) plan for the proper and sustainable utilization of the coastal resources. Additionally, it will assist as ground information to establish a framework for prioritizing community resilience-building initiatives or developing appropriate adaptation strategies to lower catastrophe risk.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Recovery and Resilience of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry in Southeast Asia

Purpose: The study sought to analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the recovery and resilience of the hospitality and tourism industry.&#x0D; Methodology: The study adopted a desktop methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.&#x0D; Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic devastated Southeast Asia's hospitality and tourism sector, leading to a sharp decline in tourism, economic hardship, and widespread job losses. Businesses adapted by focusing on domestic travel, implementing health protocols, and embracing digitalization. Resilience and innovation were evident, with businesses diversifying offerings and governments providing financial support. Recovery hinges on rebuilding consumer confidence, stimulating demand, and fostering long-term resilience.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Resource-Based View (RBV), Institutional theory &amp; Dynamic capabilities theory may be used to anchor future studies in the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the recovery and resilience of the hospitality and tourism industry. Encourage hospitality and tourism businesses to prioritize resilience-building initiatives as part of their strategic planning processes. Advocate for supportive policy frameworks at the national and international levels that prioritize the recovery and resilience of the hospitality and tourism industry.

Resilience processes among Ukrainian youth preparing to build resilience with peers during the Ukraine-Russia war.

The war in Ukraine significantly impacts the mental health and well-being of its youth. Like other communities affected by war, Ukraine's youth are at risk of developing psychopathological symptoms, and there is a shortage of mental health and psychosocial support services to address this. Resilience-building initiatives present an alternative approach to supporting the well-being of young people by promoting protective processes to enhance the likelihood of positive development in the context of adversity. Emerging research findings suggest that young people themselves can serve as powerful facilitators of such initiatives with one another. Yet, evidence about culturally and contextually relevant protective processes is needed to guide such interventions, especially among young people experiencing the war and working to boost resilience within their communities. In this study, we identified key protective processes Ukrainian youth depend on as they adapt to the conflict while also preparing to implement a resilience-building intervention as a facilitator. Through thematic analysis of transcripts of three training sessions with Ukrainian youth (n = 15, 100% female; aged 18-22), we identified the following themes: positive thinking, sense of control, emotion awareness and regulation, close personal relationships, and community support. Findings also highlighted the cultural and contextual nuance of these protective processes, as well as individual differences in the ways they co-occurred and manifested within each youth. Results have implications for developing tailored yet flexible resilience-building interventions that can be delivered by lay people, including youth with their peers, in Ukraine and other cultures and contexts.

Academic Resilience, Psychological Well-Being and Suicidal Ideation among Medical and Non-Medical Students

Background: The mental health of students in higher education, particularly concerning suicidal ideation, has been an area of growing concern. Academic resilience and psychological well-being are key factors that influence students' mental health. Understanding the relationship between these factors is crucial for developing effective interventions. Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between academic resilience, psychological well-being, and suicidal ideation among medical and non-medical students. The study sought to determine whether academic resilience serves as a protective factor against suicidal thoughts and how it interacts with psychological well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 200 students, evenly divided between genders and educational backgrounds (medical and non-medical). The study employed the Academic Resilience Scale, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Suicidal Ideation Scale. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 25 years, with an average age of 21.35 years. Statistical analyses included correlation, regression, and t-tests, using tools like SPSS version 25 for data processing. Results: The results indicated a positive correlation between academic resilience and psychological well-being (r=0.242, p&lt;0.01). Regression analysis showed that academic resilience (β=-0.59, p&lt;0.000) and psychological well-being (β=0.49, p&lt;0.000) were significant predictors of suicidal ideation. Medical students demonstrated higher academic resilience and lower suicidal ideation compared to non-medical students. Suicidal ideation scores among non-medical students were notably higher (Mean=125.63, SD=20.07) than medical students (Mean=107.30, SD=29.86). Conclusion: Academic resilience plays a crucial role in reducing suicidal ideation among students. Enhancing academic resilience, particularly among non-medical students, could be a key strategy in mitigating the risk of suicidal thoughts. This study highlights the importance of incorporating resilience-building initiatives in educational settings to improve student mental health.

“One community at a time”: promoting community resilience in the face of natural hazards and public health challenges

BackgroundResilience is vital for facing natural disasters and public health challenges. Despite the significance of resilience-building activities, there is a scarcity of locally-tailored planning and response strategies, leaving communities incapable of addressing the unique challenges posed by natural disasters and public health crises. This study aims to explore how the “One Community at a Time” approach enhances community resilience in facing natural hazards and public health challenges.MethodsA systematic review was conducted over journal articles published from January 2001 to April 2023 through PRISMA approach. Multiple databases such as Web of Science and Scopus were thoroughly searched. We used independent screening by two researchers and painstaking data extraction using standardized forms. This approach was adopted to assure the reliability, validity, and precision of our study selection and analysis. The included studies’ quality was evaluated by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.ResultsIn the evaluation, 35 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion and underwent in-depth examination. Several major components of “One Community at a Time” have been identified, including social capital and networks, local knowledge and learning, effective governance and leadership, preparedness and response capacity, and adaptive infrastructure and resources. This framework highlights the significance of individualized approaches to resilience-building initiatives, recognizing that each community has specific strengths, needs, and challenges.ConclusionRelevant stakeholders can adapt suitable resilient strategies to help prepare and recover from natural hazards and public health challenges. By adopting a localized strategy, stakeholders can collaborate to develop a culture of readiness and resilience, ultimately leading to more sustainable and resilient communities. This framework advises community-based groups, local government, and other stakeholders on prioritizing partnerships, preparedness planning, community participation, and leadership as essential components of creating and maintaining resilience. “One Community at a Time” framework offers practical guidance for community-based organizations, local government, and other stakeholders to prioritize partnerships, preparedness planning, community participation, and leadership as essential components of creating and sustaining resilience.

Analyzing Extreme Temperature Patterns in Subtropical Highlands Climates: Implications for Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies

This study utilized hot and cold indices to evaluate the changes in extreme temperature events that occurred in subtropical highland climates from 1991 to 2020. The modified Mann–Kendall (MMK) test and the Theil–Sen (TS) slope estimator were used to analyze the linear trends in the time series of the extreme temperature indices. The northern highlands of Pakistan (NHP) were considered as a case study region. The results showed that the annual maximum temperature had a slightly increasing tendency (at the rate of 0.14 °C/decade), while the annual minimum temperature had a slightly decreasing tendency (at the rate of −0.02 °C/decade). However, these trends were not significant at the 5% significance level. The decadal averages of the hot indices were the highest in the second decade (2000s), while they were the lowest in the subsequent decade (2010s). In comparison, all the cold indices except the annual minimum value of the maximum temperature (TXn) showed a persistent decline in their decadal averages throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Overall, the frequency of hot days significantly increased in the NHP during the study period. This study found that the hot days and coldest days increased over the past three decades in the NHP. However, there was a decreasing trend in the cold spell duration, cold nights, and the coldest nights over the past three decades, as demonstrated by the trends of the cold spell duration index (CSDI), the temperature of cold nights (TN10p), and the annual minimum value of the minimum temperature (TNn) indices. These changes may impact the environment, human health, and agricultural operations. The findings provide useful insights into the shifting patterns of extreme temperature events in northern Pakistan and have crucial implications for the climate-change-adaptation and resilience-building initiatives being undertaken in the region. It is suggested that the continuous monitoring of extreme temperature events is necessary to comprehend their effects on the region and devise strategies for sustainable development.

Socio-economic impacts of climate change on indigenous communities in the save valley area of Chipinge district, Zimbabwe

In recent years, climate change has fast become a reality that warrants concerted action from stakeholders across fields. Communities in the Save Valley Area of Chipinge District of Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe, for example, report high incidences of socio-economic disruptions caused by climate change. These include loss of livelihoods, livestock, crops, food stocks and infrastructure damage. This study investigated the coping mechanisms adopted by communities in the Save Valley Area in their attempt to mitigate the socio-economic vagaries of climate change. In order to understand community perceptions regarding the possible link between climate change and the increased frequency and intensity of flooding incidences and to evaluate the evolution of community disaster risk management and resilience building as a function of changing climatic realities, the study employed the mixed method research design. Resettled farming households in the Middle Sabi, communal farming households in Chibuwe and Tongogara areas and members of the Chipinge District Development Committee were sampled for this study. Questionnaires, transact walks, structured interviews and focus group discussions were the main data collection methods utilized. Quantitative data entry was done via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Qualitative data was coded and analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that climate change has heightened community vulnerability, weakened their adaptive capacities, as well as disrupting the community resilience-building initiatives. In turn, communities have made attempts to respond to the challenges arising from climate change by modifying their socio-economic activities, organizing themselves internally and reverting to the use of indigenous knowledge based interventions.

Decadal spatio-temporal dynamics of drought in semi-arid farming regions of Zimbabwe between 1990 and 2020: a case of Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts

Drought severity and frequency are increasing in tropical regions and its occurrence is not uniform in space and time. The study assessed the spatio-temporal dynamics of agrometeorological drought in Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts between 1990 and 2020. An empirical research design was adopted in this study. GIS and remote sensing techniques were used to determine and analyze agricultural drought conditions and the standardized precipitation generator was used to compute SPI for meteorological drought monitoring and analysis. Microsoft Excel 2011 was adopted for the analysis of drought coverage and performing the Mann–Kendall trend test for precipitation trend analysis. Results indicated that the area covered by drought declined between the 1990 and 2000 and 2001–2010 decades before increasing during the 2011–2020 decade. Results indicated significant spatial dynamics of drought severity and frequency in Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts and the majority of wards experienced increased frequency of severe droughts during the 2011–2020 decade. It was highlighted that meteorological drought was not evenly distributed across all decades. Dry conditions in the first months (October and November) of the rainy season have been indicated during the 1990–2000 decade, followed by wetter conditions during the 2001–2010 decade and comparatively drier conditions in the same months during the 2011–2020 decade. This indicated the late onset of the rainfall season during the 1990–2000 and 2011–2020 decades compared to the 2001–2010 decade. It was also shown that rainfall cessation was earlier during the 2001–2010 and 2011–2020 decades and late during the 1990–2000 decade. The study concludes that drought has increased both in severity and frequency in Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts; hence, there is a need for more support to drought resilience-building initiatives in these areas. The government of Zimbabwe is advised to set up climate research centers in all provinces of the country to improve the availability of climate change–related data which is useful when addressing the impacts of climate change.

Defining metrics for monitoring and evaluating the impact of co-production in climate services

Despite increased commitment to co-production as a route to developing decision-relevant climate services, there has been less focus on the metrics or criteria for determining their success and impact. Drawing from literature and recent experiences from both operational- and research-focused climate resilience-building initiatives in Africa, we propose a framework and consider various approaches for monitoring and evaluating both the process and outcomes of investments in climate services co-production, so that scientific excellence can be monitored alongside development impact. This framework combines principles- and process-based approaches to track changes amongst the various parties involved in co-producing climate services. The development and application of this framework raises fundamental questions regarding the metrics for measuring the impact of co-production in climate services and the principles – including inclusivity, diversity and ensuring value for all partners in the process – on which these are based. The framework and its metrics contribute to the emerging field of monitoring and evaluation of climate services co-production, and will be of use in improving the robustness of the field going forwards.

Impact of resilience building interventions in semiarid rural agro-communities: lessons from Mberengwa And Zvishavane Districts in South Eastern Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT The research sought to examine the impact of resilience building interventions toward rural livelihoods in Mberengwa and Zvishavane Districts. In this research, a mixed method research design was adopted to enhance the quality, complementarity, and expansion of results. Data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews and field observations. Questionnaires were distributed to 200 household heads in Mberengwa and 120 households selected in Zvishavane Districts using convenience sampling technique. Key informants interviewed included Lutheran Development Services representative, Rural District Council representative, District Crop and Livestock Officer (DCLO). The acquired qualitative data were subjected to content analysis while quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. The study findings show that Villages Savings and Lending, water harvesting, community horticultural gardens, apiculture, climate smart agriculture were some of the initiatives contributing to resilience building. These resilience building interventions contributed toward the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 1; ending hunger, 2; zero hunger; and 13 climate action. The study recommends that the government, through the relevant ministry should ensure resilience building initiatives are included in their five-year plan, so that they have adequate and realistic implementation time frames.

Measuring community resilience: A critical analysis of a policy-oriented indicator tool

There has been ample interest in community resilience as a buffer against the negative impacts of disasters, as evident from the proliferation of community resilience indicator assessment tools in recent years. However, relying on this body of research for policy is challenging, not the least due to the abundance of differing approaches and lack of empirical validation of proposed indicators. As an illustrative case of the challenges of using community resilience assessment indicators for policy, this study examines how well an indicator tool developed by FEMA to guide disaster resilience-building initiatives might help predict post-disaster health outcomes of counties. I analyze the relationship between counties' measured disaster-focused community resilience as of 2005, the disaster-inflicted economic damage they experienced in 2005, and their population's subsequent general and mental health outcomes, as estimated from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (2006–2012). Counties categorized as ‘high resilience’ in 2005 had better subsequent health outcomes than those with lower resilience. However, counties with high resilience scores and which experienced a major disaster in 2005 did not fare better subsequently compared to counties with lower resilience scores and which also experienced a major disaster. These findings suggest that, despite its stated intent to assess which communities might be more or less resilient to disasters, FEMA's formulation of community resilience does not adequately measure resilience to disasters. More work is necessary to build consensus in the field; validate proposed tools; and to consider broader, structural reasons driving community resilience in the first place.

Business models for the Anthropocene: accelerating sustainability transformations in the private sector

The rapid pace and escalating severity of climate change impacts have made clear that current incremental approaches to pressing global socio-ecological challenges are insufficient to address the root causes of unsustainable development. This has spurred increasing interest in the dynamics of transformation: the actors, capacities and resources needed to fundamentally shift development paths. The private sector is at the core of essential transformative processes necessary to build a future premised on environmental integrity, social inclusivity, and resilience. The activities of the private sector are structured and driven by their underlying business model, which is at its core a set of assumptions about how a business creates, extracts and delivers value. Dominant conceptualizations of the business model remain a narrow imagining of how business interacts with societal processes and shape development patterns. In this article we call for the conceptualization and design of business models anchored in societal purpose and operating within planetary boundaries, apt for the Anthropocene. We identify five building blocks for business models where transdisciplinary sustainability research can accelerate entrepreneurial activity that fosters desirable sustainable pathways by enabling the creation of new capabilities in support of broader transformational processes. This article seeks to inform (and potentially re-orient the efforts of) transdisciplinary scholars engaging the private sector in the co-production of community-based sustainability and resilience-building initiatives. Likewise, the building blocks provide a guide for businesses who aim to deepen their capacity to build new partnerships, identify, and incorporate new information on climate risk into their operations and develop practices, sequences and procedures oriented toward the sustainable development goals and disaster resilience.

Understanding the Logic of Climate Change Adaptation: Unpacking Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation by Smallholder Farmers in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe

Smallholder farmers in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe, have grappled for a long time with the effects of climate change despite the locally and externally driven resilience-building initiatives in place. This paper adopts a qualitative approach to explore the encountered adaptation barriers. Smallholder farmers, Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX) officers, and the traditional leadership fraternity were randomly selected from the district’s 22 rural wards as study participants. Data were solicited using focus group discussions and face-to-face interviews that were corroborated by researcher observation methods. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis of key perspectives drawn from smallholder farmers, traditional leaders, and extension officers who work with farmers. What was unveiled is an assortment of barrier dynamics related to climate, finance, infrastructure, generational change, water resources, inefficient bureaucracy, gender inequality, and health barriers. Vensim PLE 7.3 software was used to illustrate barrier components as they act together to cripple smallholder farmers’ efforts to raise their adaptive capacity. Adaptation barriers are complex and, therefore, cannot be addressed using policies that are fragmented. The paper recommends a multidimensional approach by policy makers to analyse adaptive barriers to build more climate resilience within smallholder farmer communities.

Farmer Preparedness for Building Resilient Agri-Food Systems: Lessons From the 2015/2016 El Niño Drought in Malawi

Across sub-Saharan Africa, climate change is leading to increasingly erratic weather patterns that challenge farming practices, particularly for smallholder farmers. Preparing farmers for these changes and increasing their resilience to extreme weather events is critical for food security in areas where populations are increasing. The El Niño event of 2015/16 led to drought conditions in Malawi which are expected to become more normal in the future. This resulted in widespread crop failure and the need for external food aid. The experiences of Malawian farmers during this time creates an opportunity to identify areas where adaptations in land management practices as part of resilience building initiatives can prepare farmers for future climates. This paper presents results of household surveys and interviews of 201 farmers from a case study in southern Malawi. Half of the farmers surveyed practice Conservation Agriculture (CA), a Climate Smart Agriculture technology that increased resilience to this drought event. The majority of households relied on agriculture for all their livelihood streams, indicating that diversification away from sole dependence on agriculture would increase resilience. Our study shows that poorer, female farmers are less likely to practice CA than wealthier male farmers. Results also illustrate that while farmers had access to seasonal weather forecasts, a key tool to guide land preparation and planting, they remained reluctant to believe them or to amend cropping or land management practices. Agricultural extension services within Malawi can play a vital role in preparing farmers for future extreme weather events and ensuring forecast communication link to predicted agricultural impacts and land management actions for building resilience into agricultural systems. Extension services need to focus on supporting poorer female farmers to adopt CA practices and providing farmers with the tools and knowledge to respond effectively to seasonal and sub-seasonal climate information.

Designing justice? Race and the limits of recognition in greater Miami resilience planning

This paper explores the relation between resilience, justice and recognition through a case study of resilience planning in the Greater Miami Region. Greater Miami resilience plans, prepared through the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program, have foregrounded equity as a cross-cutting theme – a surprising move given the region’s history of anti-Black violence, segregation, and racially exclusionary governance, and the recent focus of resilience-building initiatives on sustaining property values. Bringing together literatures on resilience and justice, recognition, critical race theory, and design theory, we ask how Miami resilience initiatives extend the structures of anti-Black violence through efforts to address the region’s extreme racial and economic inequalities in the name of equity and shore up the regional economy against complex socio-ecological shocks and stressors. Our analysis details how Miami’s resilience-building efforts are uneasily situated across at least two distinct styles of recognition. On the one hand, contextually-specific norms of recognition shaped through the region’s history of racial capitalism valorize the security of Miami’s racialized real estate markets. On the other hand, design-driven resilience planning initiatives valorize diverse forms of knowledge on racially uneven development for the pragmatic utility they offer planners and professionals seeking holistic solutions to complex socio-ecological problems. While designerly approaches to resilience-building have created new possibilities for incorporating equity concerns (promoted by local social and climate justice organizations) into decision-making processes, they ultimately fail to unsettle the libidinal economy of dehumanizing anti-Black violence that continues to structure who can author(ize) what a resilient Miami might become.

Nexus planning as a pathway towards sustainable environmental and human health post Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of linear and monocentric approaches in addressing today's complex, cross-cutting, and interconnected challenges. Experiences from the Covid-19 have shown that focusing on one sector during a crisis only aggravates the stresses in other sectors as decision-makers often view the world from a linear perspective, with the thought that a click of a button would get the economy and society back on track. This study argues that linearity forgets the interconnectedness of systems and how their systemic properties shape their interactions, interdependencies, and interrelationships, whereas nexus planning integrates and simplifies socio-ecological systems, indicates priority areas for intervention, and reduces risk and vulnerability. The lockdowns implemented during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in job losses, company closures, and economic recessions, demonstrating that linear approaches often over-emphasise on a limited set of attributes of a system, notably efficiency, at the expense of other aspects. While linear approaches have been beneficial to some extent for long, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed how they transfer stresses to other sectors, and compromise resilience-building initiatives, allowing failure to cascade from one sector to the other. Nexus planning emphasises on cross-sectoral sustainability and enhances socio-economic resilience against future shocks.

Assessing rural households' resilience and adaptation strategies to climate variability and change

Climate variability and change have intensely affected agricultural systems, which are the major sources of livelihood for rural families in developing countries. Given the fact that climatic events are projected to become more pervasive, it is necessary to address the resilience of rural households and their complementary choices for adaptation to climate change. Despite raising awareness about the need for enhancing climate resilience among the farm families of developing countries, little is known about the factors that influence their resilience to climate change. Therefore, a survey research was conducted in northeast Iran to serve as a case study in a developing country. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to investigate the climate resilience of 224 farm families. While the results revealed low, moderate, and high levels of climate resilience, most farm families were found unable to endure climatic stressors. To enhance climate resilience, most farmers had adopted a combination of absorptive and adaptive measures. Anticipative and transformative measures were less practiced. Age, adaptation strategies, household size, ownership, response efficacy and income were the main drivers of the resilience of farm families to climate extremes. To increase the rural households' resilience against climate change, planning appropriate resilience-building initiatives, designing efficient preventive, absorptive, adaptive and transformative strategies, providing fair technical and financial supports, and increasing rural households’ knowledge and information for sustainable management of farms are required.

Building organization and employee resilience in disaster contexts

PurposeThis study explored the resilience-building initiatives of work organizations using the Johns Hopkins Resistance–Resilience–Recovery Model. It also determined how resilience-building initiatives increase organizational resilience and promote employee resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach. In Study 1, resilience-building initiatives of selected work organizations in the Philippines were determined through qualitative research. A survey questionnaire to determine the presence of resistance, resilience and recovery programs in organizations was developed based on the results of this qualitative study. In Study 2, the empirical relations of these initiatives to reported levels of perceived organizational resilience as well as individual employee resilience were determined through a quantitative survey among employees. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of the study described resistance, resilience and recovery programs in work organizations. Results also supported the hypothesis that the presence of resilience-building initiatives contributes to organizational resilience, which in turn affects employee resilience.Research limitations/implicationsThe relatively low contribution of organization initiatives on organization resilience suggests that other factors may need to be explored. Also, despite using a sequential mixed-method approach, conducting longitudinal studies in future research will provide more robust data on the impact of interventions on resilience.Practical implicationsManagement may use the results in identifying initiatives that can increase resilience in their organizations. The tool created may be utilized in gathering data on initiatives and help those in-charge of disaster risk reduction and management build a business case on the importance of investing in resilience-building efforts.Originality/valueThe study identified resilience-building initiatives of work organizations in a country that regularly experiences disasters as well as demonstrated the utility of the Johns Hopkins Model as framework for resilience building in the workplace. A survey questionnaire to determine the presence of resistance, resilience and recovery programs in organizations was developed through the exploratory study (Study 1), and the contributions of these initiatives to resilience of employees and organizations were established in Study 2.

Wellness Review 2020, Part 2

Introduction: This article comprises Part 2 of the Journal of Wellness review of 2020 wellness literature (July – December). In this review, JWellness editors continue the goal of offering a cohesive summary of recent publications within the wellness domain. We summarize new science and resilience initiatives published outside of JWellness that seek understanding of either burnout and its prevention or thriving in the medical community. Methods: From the interval of 01 July – 31 Dec 2020, PubMed was queried for empirical research studies, review articles, and editorials in accordance with the following algorithm: an article was required to have two delineating keywords, each from a separate grouping. The first identified medical professionals in either the title or the abstract: (“clinical professionals,” “physicians,” or “caregivers”), and the other identified a wellness-related keyword in the title: (“wellness,” “burnout,” “resilience,” or “resiliency”). Literature in Review: A total of 234 articles resulted. The list for inclusion was then narrowed to sixty-three articles plus one that was hand-picked. Recent literature into physician wellness, burnout and resilience continues to focus heavily on COVID-19. Well-researched topics include burnout surveillance, proposals for and small investigations into resilience, multiple studies attempting to differentiate characteristics that predispose to burnout, and the impact of the pandemic. Less has been written on leadership, financial wellness, and sustainable resilience-building initiatives. We note relatively few control-measured interventional studies—the majority of which remain small in endeavor and short in duration, limiting generalizability. Conclusion: Recent literature into physician wellness, burnout and resilience focuses heavily on COVID-19. Many workplace / organizational factors negatively influence wellness: cumbersome EHRs, cultures not focused on socialization and self-compassion, and high physician task load. We express optimism regarding future interventional studies of burnout mitigation and resilience enhancement.

Are female-headed households less resilient? Evidence from Oxfam’s impact evaluations

ABSTRACTGiven the complexity of measuring resilience, development practitioners are constantly seeking observable proxies that can help target resilience-building initiatives. Evidence suggests that female-headed and male-headed households differ in terms of their vulnerability and resilience, so household head gender may provide policymakers with important information about how best to target their interventions. However, the extent to which these gender differences can be explained by other observable characteristics, such as education and household demographics, remains an open question. Using an index of resilience employed by a large non-governmental organization (Oxfam GB), we provide evidence on this question by comparing the resilience of female- and male-headed households interviewed in a series of 16 evaluations of rural development projects carried out in 12 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. We find that there is a statistically significant difference between female- and male-headed households, on average, in terms of their measured resilience, and that only just over half of this difference can be explained by observable characteristics. However, since the size of this difference is small, using information on household head gender does not significantly improve the accuracy of targeting methods, such as proxy means tests, that aim to identify households for resilience-building initiatives.