Exploring the realities of urban resilience: practitioners’ perspectives
Based on a qualitative research approach, the study examined the concept of urban resilience through the perspectives of practitioners in Accra, an area known for flooding and tidal waves. In June 2015, Accra recorded one of the worst flood disasters in the history of Ghana. The city suffered an estimated 50 million USD in damage from floods, and 154 lives were lost, with several people injured. In this context, the study's main objective is not to determine which interpretation of urban resilience is ‘right’ or ‘true’ but to examine how the different interpretations can facilitate critical reflection and the implications for urban resilience research and practice.
Some of the key outcomes of the study are the below:
- The findings revealed that practitioners have diverse understandings and views about urban resilience, shaped by their different experiences and priorities. Functional and outcome-oriented urban resilience understanding prioritising physical urban infrastructure dominated urban resilience views among the practitioners.
- The study also indicated that limited resources and weak institutional and governance structures undermine efforts to develop urban resilience from a more transformative perspective.
- As climate risk and disasters occupy global and national discourse and cities continue to experience extreme events and disasters, studies such as this will be critical in ensuring that locally designed urban resilience strategies are anchored on local contextual realities and driven by transformative urban resilience ideas.