From disaster to renewal: the centrality of business recovery to community resilience

This document is the summary of the findings of Griffith University, which was commissioned by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) to examine the experiences and learnings arising from the communities that have experienced the challenges of recovering from and adapting to the impact of disasters. Four case studies were undertaken to research communities recovering from disasters such as cyclones, floods and bushfires.

Authors of the research found that business recovery is central to community recovery and that recovery needs to be integrated within the resilience framework. Aligning practice within the resilience framework will require the disaster management community to reframe its understanding of recovery, incorporating adaptation and renewal.

The authors assert that the key challenge facing governments, non-government organizations, local communities and other stakeholders in disaster management is recognising the shift in timeframes from short-term recovery to facilitating long-term community resilience.