Human dimensions of urban water resilience: Perspectives from Cape Town, Kingston upon Hull, Mexico City and Miami (2020)

Alexa Bruce, Casey Brown, Pilar Avello, George Beane, James Bristow, Louise Ellis, Sophie Fisher, Sarah St. George Freeman, Alejandro Jiménez, James Leten, Nathanial Matthews, Oriana Romano, Iñigo Ruiz-Apilanez, Panchali Saikia, Martin Shouler, Paul Simkins, Human dimensions of urban water resilience: Perspectives from Cape Town, Kingston upon Hull, Mexico City and Miami, Water Security, Volume 9, 2020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2020.100060

Abstract:
Resilience is a topic of extensive academic discourse as its relevance is elevated in response to climate change. There is limited research into the concept of resilience from the perspective of those in fields of practice. To address this gap, we conducted fieldwork in four cities to ask for perspectives on what enables cities to cope with water related shocks and stresses. Based on analysis of interview responses and focus group discussions, we propose key characteristics of human, societal and institutional capacity necessary for urban water resilience. We discuss findings in the context of evidence gathered in the field and prevalent work in current water resilience literature. It is our hope that this work may provide insights into the critically important human dimensions necessary for a shift towards resilience as a prevailing paradigm for urban water management.

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