ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on social resilience which has been defined by W. Neil. Adger as “the ability of groups or communities to cope with external stresses or disturbances as a result of social, political or environmental change”. It attempts to build social resilience in the context of flooding through donor-funded development projects using Nepal as a case study. The chapter argues that while there are tangible benefits to resilience building initiatives through the development of flood early-warning systems, projects rarely address the root causes of disasters which give rise to household vulnerability in the first place. It explores concepts of social vulnerability and resilience in the context of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and makes the case for a gendered perspective, with a specific focus on women. The chapter outlines the study which was conducted at a time when Nepal was undergoing a period of significant political change, with implications for how DRR is governed, women’s rights and citizenship.
