Insights and Reflections: Social Resilience   [open pdf - 219KB]

From the Document: "Climate change and impacts from natural hazards are disrupting community social structures. More than ever, a connected community is a crucial part of holistic resilience. On July 28, 2021, the Resilient Nation Partnership Network convened a panel of community leaders for a conversation on Social Resilience to dig into what this really means and draw from best practices nationwide. Key themes the panel identified for advancing social resilience include: [1] Social Resilience provides multiple benefits to a community, including focusing on the ability of social units, groups or populations to prepare for, withstand, respond and recover from climate, natural hazards and other disruptions. [2] A recent report authored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine identified two key pieces to advancing social resilience: [a] 'Social capital'[;] [...] [and] [b] 'Social connectedness'[.] [...] [3] Social resilience encompasses close connections to family and those immediately around you, but also to individuals and organizations with decision-making power in the community. [...] [4] Sometimes when individuals or pockets of the community have religious, theological, political or ideological differences, it can seem difficult to establish human connections and build trust. [...] [5] Leveraging both physical and digital spaces is essential to social connectedness."