Making Cities Resilient Report 2012

How to measure resilience accumulated through the process of urbanisation
and city building
The provision of core social infrastructure and services upon which urban dwellers depend on a daily basis
is an essential measure of resilience to natural hazards. Cities that offer basic services accessible to all
citizens, regardless of income, such as healthcare, education, rule of law, and environmental standards to
protect health, are generally more resilient to natural hazards. The extent to which infrastructure such as
drainage systems and paved roads exists and is well maintained is also a measure of the city’s resilience.
Box 5.3 : Measures that possibly could be developed into indicators 19 .
Resilience accumulated through the process of urbanisation and city-building
Services that are a public right regardless of income
Health care
Education
Street cleaning
Emergency services for fire/acute illness/injury/crime
Policing and the rule of law
Recourse to the courts if needed
Vote
Access to politicians, civil servants, ombudsmen
Public services that are paid but affordable for most
Public transport
Water
Sanitation
Solid waste collection
Electricity
Safety-nets available if income is insufficient
Social security
Pensions
Standard infrastructure
Storm and surface drainage systems
Paved roads and paths
Street lightening
Standards to provide protection
Wage standards
Safe working conditions
Employer supported benefits
Building standards to ensure minimum health/
comfort.
Management of road traffic
Consumer protection and environmental health
Urban plans and their implementation
Personal investments in resilience
Life insurance
Insurance for possessions and homes
Savings
Pensions
Asset ownership
The demands of citizens and civil society on local and national governments to provide affordable access
to basic services are a core driver of resilience to disasters. As seen in Campaign cities, often resilience is
the product of a long process of political pressure from those who lacked some aspect of resilience and
their political allies. It is achieved through legislative changes, funding allocations within political systems,
and the effectiveness of their implementation, within bureaucratic structures of local governments. In
some cities, where local governments are not able to provide basic services, or there is an infrastructure
deficiency, resilience depends on effective organization by those who are vulnerable, to get this addressed.
Another measure of resilience could examine how these basic services ultimately protect the most
vulnerable—those with limited incomes, illness, or disabilities—to different hazards. This would provide
insights on how regular municipal services ‘accumulate resilience’ to reduce risks to natural hazards and
other risks.
The key issue is whether all levels of government use their structures and capacities to respond to
challenges posed by natural hazards. If a city can assess the extent to which it has accumulated resilience,
19. This section, including the table, is drawn from Satterthwaite, David (2012). An alternative take on what builds resilience. Presentation for
Urban Transitions in Comparison: contested pathways of urban climate change responses North and South, Durham University, 22-23 March 2012.
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