Reducing flood vulnerability : the model of resilience in Naga City, the Philippines

This paper illustrates that different characteristics of resilience to a natural disaster affect the loss that a community sustains. Under the research project SLARIM (Strengthening Local Authorities in Risk Management); Naga City was selected as the case study that shows how people deal with floods. Naga Municipality has tried to diminish the impact of floods by relocating people to higher land. This approach has been problematic because people do not have an opportunity to earn their livelihood in the new location. The findings show that people have prepared for floods by building with different kinds of construction materials, preparing places to store their belongings, and stocking up on food and necessary goods. The findings reveal different types of resilience. The paper concludes that resilience in Naga City provides a significant model to comprehend flood vulnerability, and therefore local resilience should be elaborated more in practice and disaster management.