The Evolution of Resilience and Sustainability as Key Concepts in Research and Policy Discourse
Publication: ASCE Inspire 2023
ABSTRACT
The terms resilience and sustainability have been interpreted in multiple ways across fields of study, and the meanings of these terms continue to evolve. The use of these terms and the impetus for associated research in engineering and other fields impact government decisions, business decisions, and multinational agreements. To better understand the evolution of sustainability and resilience and interlinkages, a timeline of major natural (i.e., climate and weather-associated) disasters, US-based and international policy agreements, engineering standards, and other key geopolitical events related to the concepts were developed. The timelines are synthesized and cross-referenced by analyzing disaster-related spending and research outcomes over time. This evidence is used to understand trends that relate to sustainability and resilience across research, funding, and policies. This research project seeks to understand the direction of causation between science and policy, the differences in objectives and usage between the terms resilience and sustainability, and the evolution of these concepts.
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Published online: Nov 14, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Business organizations
- Climates
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Engineering firms
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Field tests
- Financial management
- Financing
- Government
- Infrastructure
- Infrastructure resilience
- Meteorology
- Organizations
- Practice and Profession
- Sustainable development
- Tests (by type)
- Weather conditions
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