There is little communication between the environmental management and social science bodies of literature on resilience, yet each offers insights that could enrich the other. Our research in far north Queensland has identified six key social and institutional characteristics as helping the region and its communities to be resilient: peopleplace connections, knowledge, skills and learning; community networks; engaged governance; a diverse and innovative economy; and community infrastructure. We propose that environmental management, Aboriginal and social development organisations with regional responsibilities can choose to incorporate the social dimensions of resilience thinking in three ways. Their first option is to pursue existing mandates in consciousness of social characteristics, without trying to intervene although social knowledge may prompt some adaptation of existing management strategies.
For instance, understanding local variations in people-place connections may influence communication strategies. A second option is to take advantage of resilience characteristics in management strategies, for instance to invoke strong people-place connections and recruit and support existing community networks towards stewardship behaviour. The third is to pursue organisational mandates in a new way that enhances social resilience simultaneously, for instance explicitly building a more diverse and innovative economy through new employment and business structures in environmental management.
Recorded: July 2010 Brisbane, Australia
Coping Resilience & Hope Building, Asia Pacific Regional Conference
Organiser: The Brisbane Institute of Strengths Based Practice
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