Multiple Interpretations of Resilience in Disaster Risk Management

Resilience is a key term in disaster risk management (DRM). However, resilience is interpreted in a variety of ways that can seem inconsistent and there is significant academic debate over definition of the term. This paper summarises the problems of resilience definitions, highlighting the key aspects where there are differences in interpretation. In light of these differences, a conceptual framework for examining multiple interpretations of resilience in DRM is presented. The paper suggests that a strict consensus on the definition of resilience is not practical or perhaps not even possible. Adopting the concept of resilience in a range of contexts inherently requires some flexibility in meaning. The proposed framework encourages an acceptance that there are multiple, valid interpretations of resilience. It is designed to promote cross-disciplinary understanding of resilience in DRM.