Critical infrastructure resilience under natural disasters: Current methods, challenges and future directions

As climate-related disasters like floods and droughts become more frequent and intense, the resilience of critical infrastructure is facing unprecedented challenges, drawing increasing attention from government, industry and researchers. While many studies have investigated infrastructure resilience in the context of natural disasters, they often focus on specific sub-fields or disaster types, and few holistic reviews exist of the research methods adopted in this area. To address this gap, this review synthesizes 441 studies on critical infrastructure resilience under natural disasters using a PRISMA-guided systematic search and screening process, encompassing different resilience phases, infrastructure sectors, and hazard types. Through in-depth analyses and discussion, this study critically compares prevailing modelling paradigms and methods, with a particular focus on their reliability and applicability, and on how different approaches align with and support distinct phases of the infrastructure resilience cycle. The findings reveal a predominant focus on post-disaster recovery, with insufficient attention given to pre-disaster preparedness and emergency response. Many existing models rely on idealized assumptions and single-stage analyses, limiting their practical applicability and the cross-integration of methods. Based on these insights, future research directions are proposed to strengthen the rigor, realism, and practical relevance of resilience modelling, assessment and decision. Overall, this review provides a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners, deepening their understanding of current methods and challenges in this field, while offering guidance for future research and practices to enhance critical infrastructure resilience.