Facing the heat: A descriptive review of the literature on family and community resilience amidst wildfires and climate change

Abstract

AbstractFamily and community resilience in the contexts of natural disasters and climate change have earned a place of prominence in the research field. This article provides a descriptive review of the literature published between 1997 and 2023 examining family and community resilience in the context of wildfires, climate change, and sustainability. Ninety‐two articles were included and analyzed, with three research questions addressed. Results show family and community resilience as essential to the adaptation process to extreme natural events. Family and community experiences appear to be linked with changes in beliefs, behaviors, and priorities. Findings point to potential connections with sustainability, adaptation and mitigation efforts, and the need for communities to coexist with fire in forest ecosystems. Some gaps in literature are pointed out, including scarcity of data from diverse geographic locations, looking at the family unit perspective, and spanning the entire trajectory of disaster and recovery process.