Case study of institutional and social responses to flooding: reforming for resilience?

Flood management has until recently emphasised investment and trust in constructed solutions that rely mainly on structural robustness. However, there has been a shift in the attitudes and policies towards flood risk management that emphasises a systems approach in which robustness and resilience now have an equal part to play. Agencies that have responsibility for flood management are now looking at the role of communities and individuals, ideas of accommodation and living with floods and placing an emphasis on building resilience among stakeholders as a coping strategy within the management of flood risks. The paper uses the case study of Bradford to explore what might be meant by resilience and how the actions taken by Bradford City Council have contributed towards building social resilience with respect to flood risk management.