Seeds of resilience: How social capital cultivates community strength in environmental crisis management

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of social capital (SC) on community resilience in crisis management, focusing on the Shiraz flood in Iran. While countries with centralized governance have indicated a lower level of SC among residents, our research shows a heightened level during the response phase of the crisis. Through 12 in-depth interviews with social activists and public administrators, we examined how SC developed among different stakeholders and translated into community resilience.

The findings revealed that Shiraz's culturally ingrained humanitarian ethos significantly fostered both bonding and bridging SC, especially among marginalized groups such as women and informal settlement residents. A key novelty lies in our exploration of how informal networks, including grassroots organizations, local bloggers/celebrities and, online platforms, facilitated transparency, coordination, and trust during disaster recovery, despite the absence of effective government planning. Furthermore, we highlight the role of SC in psychological support, a relatively underexplored area, showing both its potential and limitations in crisis situations. Our findings underscore a critical insight: while SC can surge in response to disasters, its sustainability is challenged by the lack of long-term institutional support, leading to its eventual decline. In less democratic contexts, SC may even unintentionally reinforce the status quo by compensating for governmental failures. Therefore, we suggest that policies aimed at formalizing and institutionalizing SC, while ensuring its independence, are crucial. This can prevent SC from fading and help leverage its potential to drive systemic change rather than merely sustaining existing power dynamics.