Building Resilience

Strengthening Capacities of Systems and People

Focusing on Capacity Building for the Greatest Impact

Building capacity helps people and systems absorb the shocks without falling back into poverty, and adapt and transform to manage risks and thrive.

Placing the focus on assets, abilities and agency rather than deficits and vulnerabilities shows what provides resilience — sources of resilience — across and beyond sectors.

Sources of Resilience Cut Across and Transcend Sectors

Strengthening these capacities requires a resilience mindset and enduring, multisector approaches and investments.

Growing evidence has identified economic, social, environmental and governance areas where development practitioners can have positive impact.

front door of a house

Economic

Resilient economies increase access to financial services and safety nets, expand and diversify economic opportunities and resources, as well as provide strategies and training to make livelihood decisions that reduce risk.

two women walk down a path

Social

Resilience approaches contribute to well-being outcomes through program investment in health, education, gender equity and psychosocial dimensions that allow people to envision and have confidence in the future.

woman standing at a market

Governance

Resilience requires sufficiently effective governance to create an enabling environment and coordinate activities for systemic change, including policies and regulations, inclusivity, infrastructure, community networks, and formal and informal social protection mechanisms.

a boy tends to two cattle

Climate Adaptation

Resilience programming mainstreams adaptation measures to enable better management of climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health and water, as well as disaster risk reduction practices.