DD / MM / YY

Resilience in Theory and Practice

DD / MM / YY

Dr. David Dodman

Defining Resilience (evolving)

Defining Resilience (evolving)

“The ability of a social or ecological system to absorb

disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and

ways of functioning, the capacity for self-organization, and the

capacity to adapt to stress and change” (IPCC, 2007)

Defining Resilience (evolving)

The ability of a social, ecological or socio-ecological system

and its component parts to anticipate, absorb, accommodate,

or recover from the effects of a hazardous event in a timely

and efficient manner, including through ensuring the

preservation, restoration, or improvement of its essential basic

structures and functions, its capacity for self-organization, and

the capacity to adapt to stress and change. (IPCC, 2014)

Responding to climate change

Dimensions of (urban) resilience

Dimensions of City Resilience

[Rockefeller Foundation – 100 Resilient Cities]

City Resilience Framework [Arup]

Responding to Climate Change

Towards Resilient Communities and Cities

…for an alternative viewpoint

The spectrum of urban adaptive capacity

Building urban resilience

How can international (climate) finance support local

community-driven (adaptation) initiatives?

Building Urban Resilience

2010/11 Climate Finance Flow (USD Billions)

Source: Climate Policy Initiative, 2011

Financing Urban Resilience

National Trust Funds

• Bangladesh: CC Strategy and Action Plan

– Trust Fund ($300m, national ring-fenced funds)

– Resilience Fund ($100m, donors)

• Nepal

– NAPA calls for at least 80% of adaptation funding to be disbursed to the

grassroots level

– Community Development Resilience Fund

• Funding for ‘projects’ rather than ‘processes’

• Definition of local/grassroots?

• Allegations of corruption

• Limited local authority capacity to apply for funds

Financing Urban Resilience

The potential of locally managed funds

• Need to be accessible, flexible and collective

• Use of local knowledge: decisions grounded in community priorities, needs and

possibilities

• Flexible timetables: prevents hi-jacking of agenda to complete by donor deadlines

• Bargaining power: funds enable communities to negotiate with city and national

government

• Autonomy: breaks down clientelist relations

Developed from IIED briefing by Diana Mitlin (2013): http://pubs.iied.org/17154IIED

Social Dimensions of Resilience

Some questions for discussion:

• How useful do you think the concept of resilience is for assessing and implementing responses to climate change risk in urban centers?

• What would be some of the best ways to measures resilience among low-income urban residents?

• What are the particular challenges of delivering adaptation and risk reduction in low-income and informal settlements?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of community-driven approaches to urban adaptation/resilience?