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Planning for Resiliency: Portable Living Structures
A Graduate Thesis by MONICA A. JOHNSON
Mount Ida College
Resiliency in...
Psychology
Resiliency is most often talked about in psychology; it is the “capacity of people to effectively cope with, adjust, or recover from stress or adversity” (Meichenbaum, p. 4). Donald Meichenbaum, Research Director at the Melissa Institute, lists multiple situations around the world in which individuals of all ages need to be resilient. There are many factors that are included within resilience; research shows that the primary factor, the most important, is relationships. Relationships, not only with immediate and extended family members, but also relationships with neighbors and individuals in the community (Resilience Factors & Strategies). There are five common factors for resilience in individuals. These factors include;
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The ability to adapt successfully to the new environment, changing lifestyles, and difficult challenges.
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The ability to challenge and handle traumatic situations.
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The ability to “maintain a stable equilibrium and relatively stable mental and physical health” (Meichenbaum, p. 4).
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The ability to communicate and problem solve, individually and in a group.
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The ability to maintain a positive view of one’s strengths and abilities.
(Meichenbaum, p. 4) (Resilience Factors & Strategies, p. 3).
The above factors are not only important to maintain after a disaster, but while in the face of disaster, during, after, and when “reintegrating into civilian life” (Resilience Factors & Strategies, p. 3). Most individuals perceive and handle traumatic events in their own way; there is no cookie cutter formula for building resilience because it is something that changes from person to person. “Resilience is not a trait that people either have or don’t have. It involves actions that can be learned and developed in anyone” (Resilience Factors & Strategies, p. 2).
Communities
Resilience is a rising topic in the world, especially when referring to community resilience. Community resilience is defined as “a measure of the sustained ability of a community to utilize available resources to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations” (Community Resilience). Now a day, it is important for all people to be resilient because of the rise in unexpected events. These events may include; “terrorist attacks, water shortages, critical infrastructure failures, a looming energy crisis, a continuing flow of illegal immigrants, the effects of climate change and the threat of a pandemic” (Comfort, Boin, & Demchak, 2010, p. 15). All of these possibilities could be overwhelming events for communities; this is when the ability for individuals to adapt to the altering circumstances in order to maintain some form of normalcy within their lives and communities is so important. It is impossible to fully prepare for something people can’t predict. “Improving the resilience of critical lifelines such as water and power and critical facilities such as emergency response management is critical for overall community resilience” (Bruneau, et al., 2003, pp. 735-736).
Designing Resilience specifically mentions Hurricane Katrina and the devastation experienced by hundreds of thousands of people. Many in its path have lost homes, leaving families on the street with nowhere to go, no food or water, and without a plan in place to start the recovery and rebuilding process (Channel, 2006). “The televised sight of stranded masses, people utterly helpless and without assistance, hammered home the message that modern, large-scale sociotechnical systems have become vulnerable to shock” (Comfort, Boin, & Demchak, 2010, p. 14). The plans and systems set in place for disaster recovery is looked at as the job of the government, which “is a responsibility that has been proven difficult to uphold” (Comfort, Boin, & Demchak, 2010, p. 15).
T phe image below, represents the building blocks for creating resilient communities, these factors include; proper preparation and knowledge for how to respond, having strong relationships (with family members, members of community, etc.), recruiting enough volunteers to help in a crisis, organizations are equipped and prepared to respond and help, and having strong relationship within the helping organizations (Community Resilience Toolkits, 2014).
Not all communities have the resources and knowledge to educate individuals on how to prepare for post-disaster resilience, which is why it’s important to be able to provide them with the tools after the fact.
Resilient Communities for America is a company that takes on the leadership roles for communities who want to be better prepared for bouncing back from natural disasters, changing economy, etc. The group’s website discusses 4 paths to building resilient cities and countries;
Prepare for climate change and extreme weather
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Identify your area’s risk for extreme weather. The FM Global Resilience Index is used by insurance companies. “The index aggregates nine drivers of resilience into three factors—economic, risk quality and the supply chain itself” (Resilience Index Executive Summary, 2014).
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Set plans and prepare.
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Become a greener community by trying to decrease carbon emissions.
Expand Renewables and Energy Efficiency
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Start using alternative forms of energy (i.e. solar panels, wind turbine, etc.)
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Educate communities on energy efficiency programs.
Renew and Strengthen Infrastructure
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Further development of “critical infrastructure”.
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Create financial models in preparation of possible community destruction.
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Optimize all resources and practice cost efficiency.
Strengthen the Local Economy
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Guarantee an access to needed resources.
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Grow the ability to be resilient by creating new forms of employment within “sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and local agriculture” (4 Paths to Building Resilient Cities and Countries, 2014).
(4 Paths to Building Resilient Cities and Countries, 2014)
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