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Operationalizing “resilience” for disaster risk reduction in mountainous Nepal

Karen I. Sudmeier (Centre for Research on Terrestrial Environments, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland)
Michel Jaboyedoff (Centre for Research on Terrestrial Environments, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland)
Stephanie Jaquet (Centre for Development and Environment, University of Berne, Bern, Switzerland)

Disaster Prevention and Management

ISSN: 0965-3562

Article publication date: 23 August 2013

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe empirical research intended to fill the perceived gap in practical guidance methodologies for assessing resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

To do so, an interdisciplinary team of researchers studied landslide risk in four different communities of Central and Eastern Nepal using a case study approach. Two case studies on flood-affected communities were developed for comparison sake in more urban areas. Methods combined qualitative participatory approaches to develop indicators of resilience as well as a household survey and focus group discussions for collecting data on the indicators.

Findings

What the research results demonstrate is a relatively straightforward and simple means for obtaining data on the state of a community's resilience as a relatively simple “snapshot” of resilience at one period in time, assuming that resilience is an outcome that can be improved over time with the “right” set of interventions.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this research is that it focussed mainly on outcome indicators; although some process indicators of resilience were identified (i.e. grazing management practices, skills training, organizational skills and learning through education), these need to be more comprehensive and validated through community consultations.

Originality/value

The paper provided data and a straightforward methodology for measuring resilience and has thus contributed to the literature on this topic, while providing practical ideas for future research on resilience building measures and indicators.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was entirely support by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 26083591) during the period 2009-2011, for which we are extremely grateful. Many thanks to Dr J.C. Gaillard and Ms. Sushma Shrestha University of Auckland, New Zealand for valuable inputs during the research period. Dr Ilan Kelman (CICERO, Norway), Christopher Belperron (Mission East, Nepal) Manuela Fernandez (University of Lausanne) and Dr Carolina Garcia, Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Colombia who provided very useful comments to a previous draft of this manuscript. Many thanks also to colleagues Jerome Dubois, Alain Breguet, University of Lausanne, Gopi Krishna Basyal, National Society for Earthquake Technology, Nepal, Sanjaya Devkota, FEED International Ltd, Nepal, Sundar Sharma, Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention, Nepal.

Citation

I. Sudmeier, K., Jaboyedoff, M. and Jaquet, S. (2013), "Operationalizing “resilience” for disaster risk reduction in mountainous Nepal", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 366-377. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-02-2013-0028

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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