Chapter 9: Local Government and Community Resilience

In this chapter, community resilience as a key success factor in strengthening local governance resilience is examined. The argument is made for a symbiotic approach between top–down and bottom–up resilience building. A distinction is made between two interrelated domains, namely (1) a top–down approach, which focuses on an organizational perspective that examines the institutional and governance mechanisms and arrangements necessary for local governments to support resilient communities, and (2) a bottom–up approach which probes the ways in which communities can build their own resilience. The core dimensions of community resilience, including social, psychological, and economic resilience, are highlighted to explore ways in which communities can utilize networks, social capital, and cohesion-building efforts to enhance their overall resilience. While local governments have a moral and legal mandate to build community resilience through support mechanisms, and enabling policies and programs, community-driven initiatives are essential to sustain self-reliance and long-term adaptive capacity. The warning is sounded against a culture of government dependency; the point is made that resilience built without community effort is easily eroded. Therefore, the advocacy is for integrated strategies that empower communities as active agents in their own development and resilience.