Community Resilience in Resource-Dependent Communities: A Comparative Case Study

Abstract

A limited number of studies have been conducted to better understand community resilience in the context of changing resource-dependent communities. This study is intended to start bridging this gap by empirically examining three key factors associated with community resilience: local ownership of resources, residents' organizational capacities, and local institutional capacity to respond to change. Our objective is to deepen the understanding of such factors by uncovering the processes behind them in the context of two changing resource-dependent communities in Costa Rica. Findings suggest that community resilience is highly dependent on equity of resource distribution and access to financial resources, the quality of relationships between residents who live in the community as well as with newcomers, and the ability of local institutions to adapt in order to operate efficiently in the light of change.