Resilience by Whom and for Whom? Empowering Local Communities for Community-led Resilience-building

Resilience is a crucial component of crisis management at various societal levels. However, the definition, implementation, and evaluation of resilience are often determined by external stakeholders, rather than those who are directly impacted by crises. This chapter focuses on the importance of engaging local communities in the process of conceptualising and implementing resilience and identifying key factors that contribute to enhancing multi-stakeholder communication and collaboration. The chapter highlights the significance of local knowledge, experiences, and context in resilience-building, and discusses participatory approaches to facilitate meaningful community involvement in decision-making processes. The chapter also explores strategies for fostering trust and partnership between external (public and private sector) and local communities, as well as ways to bridge the gap between local resilience strategies and formal crisis management frameworks. Overall, this chapter emphasises the need to empower local communities for active engagement and participation in context-specific resilience-building efforts.