Resilience in practice

Number of pages: 32 p.

This report looks at what resilience means for local authorities. It argues that building an understanding of resilience at the local level will enable better responses to the big challenges we face, and offers guidance for councils to facilitate their thinking about the subject.

The first section of the paper summarises some of the existing interpretations and definitions of resilience. It then discusses some of the issues and concerns that local authorities have with resilience and some of the ways they are seeking to develop it in their areas. The second section outlines a definition and typology of resilience, before seeking to apply it in terms of climate change adaptation, an area that is of vital importance to local authorities, and a key part of longterm resilience. Finally, it proposes a checklist that authorities could follow when developing resilience strategies and interventions.