Evaluating Community Flood Resilience: An Innovative Social Capital Oriented Framework

Flood risk management (FRM) strategies in many developed countries increasingly focus on building flood resilience at property, community, and national levels. However, existing research on community flood resilience (CFR) has thus far inadequately addressed the social dynamics underpinning interactions among key resilience dimensions. Despite limited recognition of the social dimension, factors such as social capital and sociocultural dynamics remain insufficiently explored, warranting further investigation. This study employs a modified preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) to critically review and synthesize research gaps, before presenting an innovative social capital oriented framework to evaluate CFR. While infrastructure, economic, environmental, human, and governance dimensions play significant roles, the proposed framework emphasizes the foundational role of social capital and sociocultural factors, including norms, values, and identities, in shaping resilience outcomes and actions. These factors influence the success or failure of resilience-building efforts, particularly in diverse, deprived communities, such as those with nonnative speaking populations. This innovative framework offers insights for multisectoral stakeholders, including flood risk managers, engineers, surveyors, property owners, and local authorities, to address persistent challenges in resilience-building activities and improve intervention outcomes.