Social Capital and Disaster Resilience Nexus: A Study of Flash Flood Recovery in Jeddah City

Abdurazag Tammar, Shougi Suliman Abosuliman and Khan Rubayet Rahaman
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Abdurazag Tammar: Department of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Shougi Suliman Abosuliman: Department of Transportation and Port Management, Faculty of Maritime Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Khan Rubayet Rahaman: Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Governments, researchers, and humanitarian agencies have increasingly focused on reducing disaster impacts and enhancing the resilience of individuals, households, and communities, as the human and economic costs of natural disaster events have dramatically increased over the past century. Achieving resilience in a disaster context means the ability to survive future natural disasters with minimum loss of life and property as well as the ability to create a greater sense of place among residents, a stronger, more diverse economy, and a more economically integrated and diverse population. However, less attention has been paid to the significance of social capital in a post-disaster context and its contribution in building community resilience. It is very obvious that the contribution of social capital to post-disaster resilience in a Middle Eastern/Saudi Arabian context is virtually unknown. With a focus on the Saudi Arabian context, this research paper develops a social capital framework centered on resilience and post-disaster recovery. To conduct this study, a holistic approach to data collection is followed through questionnaire surveys, structured and non-structured interviews with citizens, and informal discussions with government and major stakeholders related to flash flood disaster management in the City of Jeddah. It is interesting to note that several religious institutions have played important roles in evacuating people and providing help for a quick recovery. In addition, government organizations are taking the recovery process seriously by providing necessary help in the flood-stricken areas. Within the scope of the given framework, the research explores and evaluates the role of social capital in post-disaster recovery efforts through a case study of the 2009 and 2011 Jeddah flash floods.

Keywords: resilience; social network; flash flood; Jeddah city; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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