Localised resilience through an equity lens- a review of critical infrastructure research in developing countries

This literature review synthesizes current academic and policy research on critical infrastructure resilience (CIR) with a specific focus on equity, inclusivity, and localization in the Global South. While traditional resilience frameworks emphasize robustness and recovery, less attention has been given to how socially and spatially marginalized communities experience, contribute to, and are excluded from resilience-building processes. This review identifies dominant themes, theoretical framings, methodological approaches, and empirical gaps in CIR literature. The study finds that while resilience discourse has increasingly adopted systems-based and community-centered language, the operationalization of equity and inclusivity in infrastructure planning remains fragmented. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research pathways that center justice, participation, and locally grounded knowledge.