Turning every disaster into an opportunity: An exploratory study on refugees’ perceived emergency management capacity and community resilience

This article explores the perceived emergency management capabilities and community resilience among refugees residing in Texas. Adopting the theoretical framework of structural and cognitive social capital, we conducted in-depth interviews with refugees from Afghanistan, Congo, Iran, Myanmar, Somalia, and Thailand. The study identifies the specific needs of the refugee community regarding disaster management and their simultaneous vulnerability and resilience. Based on our research findings, we suggest that local disaster management agencies identify and collaborate with the community leaders in refugee communities to efficiently achieve their communication goals, strengthen refugees' community resilience, and better integrate refugee communities into the local community's resilience development.