Defining disaster resilience: a DFID approach paper

This approach paper is intended to inform the next phase of DFID’s work on resilience to both natural and man-made disasters, by providing a starting point for discussion within the Department and with its partners. Although the focus is on disasters, this is part of a wider process to mainstream resilience across all of DFID’s work which is being led by Policy Division.

The paper begins with an outline of what resilience is and sets out a framework to improve understanding of the different elements to be considered in building resilience through DFID’s country operations. It then looks at a range of existing DFID resilience interventions at country and regional levels. The paper concludes by providing suggestions for what DFID can do to strengthen its work in this area and how it can provide strategic leadership across the international system.