Community resilience implications for institutional response under uncertainty: Cases of the floods in Wayanad, India and the earthquake in Port‐au‐Prince, Haiti

Abstract

While trajectories of community resourcefulness, solidarity, and mutual trust during and following environmental crises are abound in the literature, how these trajectories are taken into consideration and influences spatial planners, humanitarians and decision makers working under uncertainty remains under documented. Our article explores the concept of community resilience in action to illustrate where community resilience in action is supported, hindered or ignored by the state and non‐state organizations. Through an inductive epistemological approach, it draws examples from the exploratory fieldwork of two case studies and interviews in settlements in developmental contexts where the inhabitants, built environments and livelihoods have been severely affected following a hazardous event. Using observations and testimonies from Wayanad, a hill district in India affected by heavy monsoon floods in 2018 and 2019, and from marketplaces in Port‐au‐Prince, Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake, the article discusses how understandings of community resilience in action in post‐disaster developmental contexts could contribute to enhancing institutional responses under uncertainty.

Seeing the Resilience of Local Communities Established: Evidence from the local community in Southeast Sulawesi

“…In Wayanad community resilience in Kerala India, revealed that resilience influenced by existing bonding, bridging and bridging social capital (Koshy & Smith, 2023). Our study found that the role of social capital is critical in dealing with the challenges of environmental change due to mining activities.…”

Understanding the social dimensions of resilience: The role of the Social Sciences in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Action, and Sustainable Development

“…Koshy and Smith (2024) describe how local community resilience came into action in Wayanad (India) following the 2018 and 2019 floods, and in Port‐au‐Prince (Haiti) following the 2010 earthquake. They provide insights on the social responsibility, solidarity, mutual trust, and cooperation by which community resilience came into action, and on how these processes were undermined by the local root causes of disasters.…”

“…They investigate and learn about the perceptions and experiences of these communities of CC risks and impacts and of climate action policies. These two papers highlight the relevance of an intersectional approach to disaster risks and impacts, and of enhancing community resources and community-led initiatives for inclusive and effective DRR, climate action, and community resilience-building policies and projects Koshy and Smith (2024). describe how local community resilience came into action in Wayanad (India) following the 2018 and 2019 floods, and in Port-au-Prince (Haiti) following the 2010 earthquake.…”