Building Resilient Communities Through Social Capital in Cities

Abstract

This chapter explores community resilience in urban environments focusing on communities in the city of Harare in Zimbabwe. Despite its increased use in research and practical application for disaster risk management, resilience is a complex and contested issue. In this work, resilience is examined using a concurrent nested mixed method approach for data collection and analysis through the use of random and purposive sampling and questionnaire surveys. Some of the key findings include the diverse understanding of resilience by communities and urban local authorities leading to interventions mostly by urban planners that do not holistically promote community resilience. Urban informality is not always a hazard, but can promote community resilience if well managed, and social capital is one of the most important pillars for supporting community resilience building. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of risk localization and a holistic understanding of resilience at community levels if city authorities are to reduce disasters and strengthen community resilience.