Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of disaster risk management, community disaster resilience (CDR) has emerged as a critical component. However, its application is often hampered by the lack of robust assessment tools. A recent systematic review titled Community Disaster Resilience: a Systematic Review on Assessment Models and Tools sheds light on the current state of CDR assessment models and offers valuable insights for practitioners seeking to enhance their skills.
Key Findings from the Research
The study analyzed 675 publications, narrowing down to 17 articles that presented ten distinct models, tools, or indices for CDR assessment. These models varied significantly in their domains, indicators, and the types of hazards they addressed. The research highlighted the following key points:
- Diversity in Models: There is considerable diversity in the models used for CDR assessment, with varying domains and indicators.
- Conceptual Complexity: The disparity between the number of articles discussing resilience and those providing measurement approaches indicates a complexity in operationalizing CDR.
- Domains of Resilience: The study identified five key domains for classifying indicators: social, economic, institutional, physical, and natural.
Implications for Practitioners
For practitioners, these findings underscore the importance of adopting a systematic approach to CDR assessment. Here are some actionable steps to consider:
- Embrace Diversity: Understand that CDR models vary widely. Familiarize yourself with different models to choose the one that best fits your community's needs.
- Focus on Domains: Concentrate on the five identified domains to classify resilience indicators effectively.
- Quantify and Weigh Indicators: Use appropriate methods to quantify and weigh indicators based on their relative contributions to resilience.
- Encourage Further Research: Given the preliminary nature of current models, further empirical research is crucial to develop a comprehensive and measurable CDR model.
Conclusion
The journey towards effective community disaster resilience is ongoing. Practitioners must leverage existing models while advocating for further research to refine these tools. By doing so, they can contribute to more resilient communities capable of withstanding and recovering from disasters.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Community Disaster Resilience: a Systematic Review on Assessment Models and Tools.
