Dharmadasa, K. H. K.; Kulatunga, U.; Thayaparan, M. and Keraminiyage, K. P. (2026) Developing contextualise indicators for measuring community disaster resilience in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 17(3), pp. 428-445. ISSN 1759-5908
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to develop a comprehensive and contextualised indicators for measuring community disaster resilience (CDR) in Sri Lanka. Despite the growing attention towards resilience assessment, developing countries continue to lack empirically grounded and context specific measurement tools. The study addresses this gap by identifying and validating indicators that capture multidimensional aspect of CDR. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted under two phases. In Phase 1, a systematic literature review (SLR) covering indexed journals and conference proceedings was conducted to identify the proxy indicators for measuring CDR. In Phase 2, a focus group discussion with experts in the field of disaster management selected using purposive sampling method was conducted to refine the set of indicators to the context of Sri Lanka. The experts assessed clarity, relevance, applicability of the indicators and established appropriate proxy measures and relationships with resilience dimensions. Findings – This study introduces a comprehensive and contextually grounded library of indicators to measure CDR in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, 55 indicators were organised under economic, social, institutional, physical, environmental and human health dimensions capturing both community capacities and vulnerabilities relevant to Sri Lanka. Further, a suitable proxy measure for each indicator was defined along with its relationship to CDR. Originality/value – The study provides one of the most comprehensive set of indicators for developing countries, combining global evidence with local expert knowledge. This serves as a foundation for developing composite indices, benchmarking community performance and guiding policy formulation in Sri Lanka and other hazard-prone developing contexts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | community disaster resilience; developing countries; indicator-based assessment; indicators; Sri Lanka; systematic literature review |
| Index terms: | composite, benchmarking, disaster management, human health, purposive sampling, Sri Lanka, vulnerability, methodology, conference, disaster resilience, journal, focus group, systematic literature review, dimension, evidence, developing country |
| Subjects: | public and environmental health, Geography, climate science, research methods, performance measurement, materials science, research evaluation and metrics, research dissemination and communication, development economics, evaluation and assessment methods, health monitoring assessment and metrics, financial risk, data collection methods, environmental hazards |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Quality Management, Geographical Context, International Construction, Health and Safety, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Cost Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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