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Resilient Communities

Resilient communities are healthy communities capable of "bouncing back" from adverse situations by actively influencing and preparing for economic, social and environmental change.

How do you build resilience in the community?

In times of need, a resilient community will draw upon all of the resources that make it a healthy community.

Social capital provides a community with an informed communications network and access to a wide range of resources, beyond the traditional labour market, during times of crisis.

A high-level of community capacity will set the framework for quick disaster relief and information sharing through community networks.

Well-planned urban development and sustainable environmental practices help diminish the effects of disasters by mitigating toxic run-off and erosion, among other factors.

Indicators examine current programs to determine if they are fostering resilience.

Always look at the impact your decisions have on the future. Shortsighted may make things worse in the long term.

The Resilient Communities Project - British Columbia

The Resilient Communities Project is an initiative between academics, First Nations peoples and the provincial government to determine the social factors involved in the survival and resilience of BC's coastal communities. They hope to discover what allows some communities to weather the economic storm better than others and what makes for greater or lesser resilience in a community.

The project coordinators will explore the social factors that buffer a community against economic downturn and lend themselves to economic growth and diversification. The project also places a large emphasis on the role of social capital in local economies.

Benefits of a resilient community

The atmosphere of a community successfully handling adverse conditions is far more positive than a community that is reliant on external resources for survival.

When disaster strikes, losses, both financial and human, are reduced.

Resilient communities exhibit a sense of pride and openness to new ideas and alternatives.

A local economy, aware of its social capital, is more likely to weather economic recession and remain intact afterwards, keeping money in the community.