Towards a conceptual framework for property level flood resilience

Abstract

Resilience is a multifaceted field of study that has been addressed by different disciplines and has been the subject of extensive research. Despite this vast body of research, there is no agreement on a single definition among researchers. Resilience in the context of flooding has become a major focus of flood risk management policy and reflected in current strategy to mitigate the effects of flooding. Furthermore, in recent times, increased attention has been given to property level resilience as part of an integrated approach to flood risk management. Despite this focus on resilience to flooding, there lacks a single definition and consequently, any effective means to quantify and measure resilience at the level of the individual property. This study aims to review and synthesize the concepts of resilience applied in different fields, in order to propose a resilience definition in the context of property level flood resilience. A framework for conceptualising flood resilience in residential property is developed which indicates the associated components and variables. The framework has the potential to be used by a range of key stakeholders in helping to understand current levels of property level resilience and in deciding what interventions might be best considered to improve resilience.