Climate Resilience: Who, When, and Why It Matters

Climate change has brought into sharp focus the disparity between how people, communities, leaders, and even animals thrive to improve their livability on Earth. For the past 28 years, leaders from around the world have been meeting to discuss ways to live on the planet sustainably. Our actions have created a monster known as climate change, but unfortunately, some are still debating whether it exists. However, the climate monster continues to grow day by day, menacing our planet and waiting for the right moment to squeeze life out of it.

Given the gravity of the climate change situation, several stakeholders have joined forces to exchange ideas on how best to tackle this pressing issue. Communities in the Global South are often considered the most vulnerable due to a lack of resilience mechanisms to deal with climate change threats. They are deemed the most susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change. Vulnerability is a measure of the likelihood of being negatively affected by a risk or hazard.

Vulnerability is determined by a combination of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Exposure refers to the population or assets exposed to climate hazards, while sensitivity refers to the extent to which a system is impacted, either positively or negatively, by climate variability or change. Adaptive capacity is a system's ability to adjust to climate change, including climate variability and extremes, to mitigate potential damages, seize opportunities, or cope with consequences.

On the flip side, resilience to climate change is a crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked. It refers to the capacity of a system to withstand and recover from the impacts of climate change. This encompasses the ability to absorb shocks, adapt to changing conditions, and transform in response to stimuli. The goal of resilience is to ensure that social, economic, and ecological systems can continue to function, maintain their identity and structure, and respond to hazardous events or disturbances. Resilience involves three main capacities: absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, and transformative capacity (as illustrated in Figure 1).

Resilience is not just about bouncing back; it also involves bouncing forward and even thriving in the face of environmental challenges. It requires using internal and external resources to maintain well-being and is a dynamic, multidimensional process that occurs at individual, community, and societal levels. Resilience is influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors. It is crucial to carefully assess and consider who, why, and when resilience building is taking place. This is particularly important when building resilience in the global south.

Firstly, we must consider who resilience building is designed for. Many initiatives adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, assuming that a single solution will restore a system to normal functionality. However, resilience is dependent on time and space, and it is inaccurate to assume that a single solution will work universally. Secondly, we must consider when a system is resilient or not. Does an external disturbance make a system less resilient? Is the time it takes to build resilience significant? When should we consider restoring the system to its normal state? Lastly, we need to understand why a system is less resilient. Are the problems inherent to the system, or are they caused by external factors?

From the outset, we should view resilience through the lens of Who, Why, and When in the resilience cycle. Purposefully, we should strive to understand why certain individuals are part of the system and why some members can absorb climate risks using their available resources. Furthermore, we should explore why some members can adapt to a changing climate by restructuring and adjusting their activities. Lastly, we need to determine when it is appropriate to transform a system into a different system, as there may come a time when certain individuals are no longer able to cope or adapt to a changing climate.

Enthusiastically, we need to understand

• Who: Resilience-building initiatives shouldn't be a "one-size-fits-all" solution. Different communities have varying needs and resources.
• Why: Why is a system less resilient? Are internal factors at play, or are external forces like poverty or a lack of infrastructure hindering resilience?
• When: Is the system more or less resilient at different times? How long does it take to build resilience? When should we consider system transformation rather than restoration?