Individual Resilience and Disaster-Specific Adaptation and Resilience Following a Bushfire Event in Regional Queensland

Susan F. Rockloff (), Carina C. Anderson, Lucinda P. Burton, Victoria R. Terry, Sally K. Jensen, Anne Nolan and Peter C. Terry
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Susan F. Rockloff: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, CQ University, Bundaberg, QLD 4670, Australia
Carina C. Anderson: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
Lucinda P. Burton: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
Victoria R. Terry: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
Sally K. Jensen: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia
Anne Nolan: Noosa Shire Council, 9 Pelican St, Tewantin, QLD 4565, Australia
Peter C. Terry: Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD 4305, Australia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: Natural disasters such as bushfires are a test of individual and group resilience, and in extreme cases, threaten the sustainability of communities. Bushfires have long been common in Australia, although anthropogenic climate change has exacerbated their prevalence and severity. The aim of the present study was to assess the individual resilience and disaster-specific adaptation and resilience of community members in the wake of a bushfire event. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, an adult community sample of 165 residents of Noosa Shire in regional Queensland, Australia completed the 25-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC©) and the 43-item Disaster Adaptation and Resilience Scale (DARS). Mean scores for the CD-RISC© indicated significantly greater resilience ( p < 0.001) than reported previously for a large Australian community cohort. Similarly, the DARS scores indicated significantly greater adaptation and resilience ( p < 0.001) than that of a comparable cohort in the USA. The two oldest groups of residents (66+ years and 51–65 years) reported significantly greater adaptation and resilience than the group of younger residents (≤50 years; p < 0.001). The study findings provide the Noosa Shire community with an objective baseline from which they can assess the efficacy of future resilience-building initiatives and, more broadly, offer a valuable point of reference for future disaster-related research.

Keywords: Australia; disaster; bushfire; adaptation; resilience; community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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