• Overview
• FAQs

FAQs

What does community resiliency mean?
Community resiliency refers to the ability of a community to work together and support each other especially in times of crisis. A resilient community is able to adapt to difficult situations by recognizing their strengths and assets and by having the capacity to mobilize them in times of emergency. Keep in mind that every community is unique; there are many ways to build resilience.

How can I help foster resilience in my community?
The Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development at Carleton University has developed a Community Resiliency Handbook to help communities and organizations build up their strength. It is clear and easy to use, offering a five step approach to building resilience in your community. This approach includes taking stock of your community resources, understanding your environment, recognizing your community leaders, opening up discussion and holding a community roundtable. Remember, this process will look different in every community; there is no one correct way of building resiliency.

What is asset mapping?
Asset mapping involves looking at your community resources from an emergency needs point of view and taking an inventory of all these assets. They may be physical things like buildings, intangible things like the work of volunteers or they can be natural assets like a river or a particular forest. After taking stock of what you have, you can begin ranking what is most valuable in your community and come up with strategies on how to best use your assets.

How should I use the Community Resiliency Handbook?
The Handbook is designed so communities can take a more systematic approach to what they have already been doing. The ideas, resources and activities presented in this book are meant to be flexible; they are yours to adapt to fit the characteristics of your community. All of the activities are versatile enough to be valuable in many settings. You can use the activities within a single organization, with a group of organizations or within a multi-sector context.

Why is community resiliency important?
Strong communities are a vital part disaster response. Research has shown that communities with good social networks, a clear understanding of their resources and the ability to mobilize them quickly can deal with disasters better and recover more quickly. Voluntary sector organizations are key to this community-building process. The more resilient and capable communities are in dealing with difficult situations, the greater the well being of everyone, particularly high-risk populations.

Disasters are not equal! Vulnerable populations are hit harder than other parts of the population. A study by the Department of Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies at Brandon University and the Canadian Red Cross identified 10 groups with greater exposure to risk during crisis. For the health and safety of these groups during a health crisis or disaster, the services of the voluntary sector are an essential component of disaster response.

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