Developing a Community Disaster Resilience Assessment Framework (CDRAF): a methodological validity study based in flood-prone regions of Myanmar

Community disaster resilience assessment has received considerable attention within disaster risk reduction research. While numerous resilience frameworks have been developed at national or regional levels, adapting existing models to local contexts remains a significant challenge, especially in the context of developing countries. To respond to this gap, this study presents the development and validation of a Community Disaster Resilience Assessment Framework (CDRAF) tailored to the socio-environmental conditions of Myanmar, a developing country. The framework was designed to assess perceived resilience-related capacities and preparatory conditions based on three empirically grounded dimensions: household preparedness, adaptive capacity, and community management. Primary data were collected from four flood-prone regions in Myanmar, with a total of 730 participants. An original 37 items were developed for the new localised community disaster resilience assessment framework for Myanmar. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted to refine and validate the structure, resulting in a 19-item, three-factor model with good internal consistency and strong model fit (CFI = 0.918, RMSEA = 0.073, NFI = 0.884). The validated assessment framework provides a practical, empirically grounded tool for assessing perceived resilience-related capacities and preparatory conditions and for informing community-level disaster risk reduction planning in Myanmar and other resource-constrained, hazard-prone settings.Key Policy HighlightsA validated Community Disaster Resilience Assessment Framework (CDRAF) was developed specifically for flood-prone communities in Myanmar.The final 19-item assessment framework encompasses three key dimensions – household preparedness, adaptive capacity, and community management – offering actionable metrics for local resilience assessment.The study addresses the limited availability of empirically validated, disaster resilience assessment tools in developing countries by providing a context-specific framework based on primary data from flood-prone communities in Myanmar.The tool enables local governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and disaster management agencies to identify resilience gaps, prioritise flood preparedness interventions, and improve disaster risk reduction planning.The validated CDRAF can be adapted for use in other flood-prone, resource-constrained settings by applying the same indicators to guide data-driven resilience assessment and disaster risk management strategies.