The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht
Recent EU guidance on adaptation calls for the enhancement of socio-technical resilience to climate change. However, socio-technical resilience is relatively poorly defined and this makes it difficult to apply in practice. This paper uses the concept of identity as a vehicle to advance the definitio...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2012-07-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/12/2139/2012/nhess-12-2139-2012.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811258715855126528 |
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| author | B. Gersonius R. Ashley C. Zevenbergen |
| author_facet | B. Gersonius R. Ashley C. Zevenbergen |
| author_sort | B. Gersonius |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent EU guidance on adaptation calls for the enhancement of socio-technical resilience to climate change. However, socio-technical resilience is relatively poorly defined and this makes it difficult to apply in practice. This paper uses the concept of identity as a vehicle to advance the definition and assessment of socio-technical resilience. Identity comprises four aspects (components, relationships, innovation, and continuity) that constitute the minimum of what has to be identified and specified if resilience is to be assessed. Characterising the identity of a socio-technical system requires the conceptualisation of these four aspects in relation to the particular function provided by the system (e.g. flood risk management) and also the identification of the specific variables and thresholds that reflect changes in identity. We have demonstrated the utility of the identity approach, using the example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Based on the results, socio-technical resilience has been redefined as the ability of the system to continue to function as expected in the face of change. This definition implies that a system is resilient when it can deliver performance without a change of identity by continuing compliance with standards and expectations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:17:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b336c85804048c9a6b06cdc5adace0e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:17:36Z |
| publishDate | 2012-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b336c85804048c9a6b06cdc5adace0e2022-12-22T03:21:32ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812012-07-011272139214610.5194/nhess-12-2139-2012The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of DordrechtB. GersoniusR. AshleyC. ZevenbergenRecent EU guidance on adaptation calls for the enhancement of socio-technical resilience to climate change. However, socio-technical resilience is relatively poorly defined and this makes it difficult to apply in practice. This paper uses the concept of identity as a vehicle to advance the definition and assessment of socio-technical resilience. Identity comprises four aspects (components, relationships, innovation, and continuity) that constitute the minimum of what has to be identified and specified if resilience is to be assessed. Characterising the identity of a socio-technical system requires the conceptualisation of these four aspects in relation to the particular function provided by the system (e.g. flood risk management) and also the identification of the specific variables and thresholds that reflect changes in identity. We have demonstrated the utility of the identity approach, using the example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Based on the results, socio-technical resilience has been redefined as the ability of the system to continue to function as expected in the face of change. This definition implies that a system is resilient when it can deliver performance without a change of identity by continuing compliance with standards and expectations.http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/12/2139/2012/nhess-12-2139-2012.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. Gersonius R. Ashley C. Zevenbergen The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht |
| title_full | The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht |
| title_fullStr | The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht |
| title_full_unstemmed | The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht |
| title_short | The identity approach for assessing socio-technical resilience to climate change: example of flood risk management for the Island of Dordrecht |
| title_sort | identity approach for assessing socio technical resilience to climate change example of flood risk management for the island of dordrecht |
| url | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/12/2139/2012/nhess-12-2139-2012.pdf |
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