Comprehensive understanding of key characteristics and analytical framework of flood disaster resilience in urban old communities

Abstract

[Objective] In the context of climate change, extreme rainstorms occur with increasing frequency, posing growing challenges of flood disasters in urban old communities. Due to deteriorating infrastructure, low disaster resistance of buildings,and unreasonable planning and design, urban old communities generally exhibit weak disaster resilience. Therefore, enhancing the flood disaster resilience of urban old communities has become a top priority in China' s disaster prevention and mitigation efforts. [Methods] First, the understanding of urban old communities and flood disaster resilience was elaborated, and the characteristics of such communities were summarized from institutional, technical, spatial, organizational, and social dimensions. Then, the basic approach to flood disaster resilience in urban old communities was explained from five aspects:resilience governance elements, collaborative governance elements, spatial governance elements, interactive mechanisms among governance elements, and theoretical linkages between governance elements and resilience. Subsequently, the resilience dimensions of urban old communities were defined: institutional resilience, organizational resilience, social resilience,technological resilience, and infrastructural resilience. Finally, an analytical framework for flood disaster resilience in urban old communities was constructed, and its connections with each resilience dimension were established. [Results] The analytical framework for flood disaster resilience in urban old communities consists of three core components: governance philosophy,governance system, and governance capacity. The governance philosophy included resilience governance, collaborative governance, and spatial governance. The governance system comprised leadership structure, operational mechanisms, and governance institutions. The governance capacity included modern technological support capabilities, risk management abilities of leading officials, and mobilization capacity of social organizations. [Conclusion] This analytical framework provides systematic theoretical support and practical pathways for flood disaster governance in urban old communities. It helps enrich and improve the governance theoretical system, broadens research perspectives on flood disaster resilience, and enhances the disaster prevention capacity of urban old communities. In addition, the framework serves as a reference for other urban old communities to transform their flood disaster governance concepts and method and to enhance their flood disaster resilience.

Keywords

community disaster reduction / community flood disaster resilience / urban old communities / emergency management / climate change / governance philosophy / urban flooding / institutional resilience