Representing the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Disaster Resilience

Although quantitative analytical information systems are an important resource for supporting decision-making in disaster operations management, not all aspects of a disaster situation can be easily quantified. For example, although the concept of the disaster resilience of a community has a technical dimension within which one can measure the resistance of the infrastructure against, and the speed of its recovery from, a disaster event, it also has social, organizational, and economic dimensions within which these characteristics may be more difficult to measure. This work-in-progress paper introduces a quantitative framework within which the multi-dimensional nature of such disaster resilience can be represented in a concise manner. This can help to improve understanding of the complexities associated with the concept, and thus directly support decision-making in disaster operations planning and management.