<strong>The Value of Collective and Individual Assets in Building Urban Community Resilience</strong>

Abstract

Bangkok, as Thailand's capital, has experienced disruptive flood events and remains vulnerable to sea level rise and subsidence. Those living in low-income communities are often most exposed to climate risk, living along canals, in housing and with infrastructure that is not adapted to climate change. Ensuring that Thai cities plan for resilient and inclusive growth is therefore important for achieving a sustainable urban future. Urban resilience here encompasses not only physical resilience to climate change impacts and other shocks, but also socioeconomic resilience, such that vulnerable population groups are not left behind. This paper aims to foster inclusive urban governance which integrates communities' well-being along with considerations of physical environmentincluding systems of land use, water and solid waste management. The findings highlight how low-income communities prepare for a potential shock such as flooding, drought or an economic crisis. Which individual and collective assets-internal and externalare at risk, and which can be used to overcome those risks? Do residents apply mechanisms of coping, adapting, or something new, and is collective action applied? The data draws from a household survey and interviews across three communities, and an innovative resilience toolkit developed in order to foster community dialogue around what is required to achieve community-based resilience strategies. Known as 'Kin dee you dee' (live well, eat well), the interactive community-level toolkit focuses on seven types of assets used by community residents and their potential for building resilience: water, food, shelter and people, economic resources, community assets, and new resources made from old (for example, by recycling materials). Our findings highlight different approaches to achieving inclusive planning approaches which support both climate resilient and sustainable development pathways at community and city scale-including the potential offered by multi-sectoral, multi-actor responses drawing on private, public and civil society actors and assets.