Resilience Thinking in the Rural Human Settlements’ Development and Management

Abstract

The article makes a case for the integration of resilience thinking in the debate on rural human settlements in the regional planning. It observes the numerous definitions of resilience within different research traditions, disciplines and fields, such as sociology, psychology, medicine, engineering, economics, ecology and political science have affected the decision-making processes in different human settlements across the globe. The dynamics of integrating resilience theory and practice into rural settlement planning and implications for sustainable development are little understood. The paper suggests the broadening of resilience drawing on diverse perspectives that appeal to wide ranging interdisciplinary experiences. Using the multi-case study approach, the article suggests how ideas of resilience can be translated into practice and how practices of resilience can be theorised in the context of the regional planning in Zimbabwe. Undoubtedly, an integrated framework for the development country’s space economy should accommodate a wide range of concepts, strategies and models of resilience together with the underpinning policy implementation modalities.