In the context of increasing climate-related disasters, transformative resilience encompassing adaptation, innovation, and sustainability has emerged as a critical concept for strengthening community-level resilience. This systematic literature review (following PRISMA guidelines) synthesizes insights from 39 peer-reviewed studies (2016–2025) to assess how transformative resilience is conceptualized and measured. It aims to inform evidence-based strategies for strengthening community-level resilience to climate change. Findings indicate that adaptation strategies dominate the literature, often focusing on socio-ecological resilience and adaptive capacity indicators. However, recent studies increasingly advocate integrated frameworks that combine adaptation with innovation and sustainability to achieve transformative outcomes. Commonly used indicators include socio-ecological resilience metrics, social capital, and adaptive capacity, although their definitions and measurements vary widely across studies. Key knowledge gaps were identified: notably, standardized measurement tools for transformative resilience are lacking, and insufficient attention has been paid to governance and institutional transformation in resilience efforts. These gaps underscore the need for future research to develop standardized indicators and holistic frameworks that address multi-level governance and institutional change. The findings have implications for both research and policy, suggesting that evidence-based, cross-sectoral strategies are required to bolster community-level resilience in the face of climate change.

1. [1] S. K. Allen et al., “Summary for policymakers,” C. B. Field, V. Barros, T. F. Stocker, and Q. Dahe (Eds.), “Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” pp. 3-22, Cambridge University Press, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139177245.003
2. [2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “SPM – Summary for policymakers,” IPCC, “Global Warming of 1.5°C: IPCC Special Report on Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C Above Pre-Industrial Levels in Context of Strengthening Response to Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty,” pp. 1-24, Cambridge University Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157940.001
3. [3] C. Taylor, T. R. Robinson, S. Dunning, J. R. Carr, and M. Westoby, “Glacial lake outburst floods threaten millions globally,” Nat. Commun., Vol.14, No.1, Article No.487, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36033-x
4. [4] J. Takakura et al., “Limited role of working time shift in offsetting the increasing occupational-health cost of heat exposure,” Earth’s Future, Vol.6, No.11, pp. 1588-1602, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000883
5. [5] J. Takakura et al., “Cost of preventing workplace heat-related illness through worker breaks and the benefit of climate-change mitigation,” Environ. Res. Lett., Vol.12, No.6, Article No.064010, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa72cc
6. [6] J. D. Carstens, C. K. Uejio, E. Powell, J. Jung, and S. Zonka, “Tropical cyclones and climate change: An overview for the public health community,” Environ. Res., Vol.285, Part 1, Article No.122149, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122149
7. [7] Y. Yang, A. Keating, and C. Sourn, “Measuring community disaster resilience for sustainable climate change adaptation: Lessons from time-series findings in rural Cambodia,” Disasters, Vol.48, No.4, Article No.e12647, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12647
8. [8] J. Jetten, K. S. Fielding, C. R. Crimston, F. Mols, and S. A. Haslam, “Responding to climate change disaster: The case of the 2019/2020 bushfires in Australia,” Eur. Psychol., Vol.26, No.3, pp. 161-171, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000432
9. [9] M. Senevirathne, D. Amaratunga, R. Haigh, and G. Clegg, “Enhancing systemic risk management to strengthen community resilience: Key recommendations from state-of-the-art practices of past complex incidents,” Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct., Vol.114, Article No.105013, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.105013
10. [10] W. Hynes, B. Trump, P. Love, and I. Linkov, “Bouncing forward: A resilience approach to dealing with COVID-19 and future systemic shocks,” Environ. Syst. Decis., Vol.40, No.2, pp. 174-184, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-020-09776-x
11. [11] L. Biddle, K. Wahedi, and K. Bozorgmehr, “Health system resilience: A literature review of empirical research,” Health Policy Plan., Vol.35, No.8, pp. 1084-1109, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa032
12. [12] E. Barasa, R. Mbau, and L. Gilson, “What is resilience and how can it be nurtured? A systematic review of empirical literature on organizational resilience,” Int. J. Health Policy Manag., Vol.7, No.6, pp. 491-503, 2018. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2018.06
13. [13] I. Townend, J. French, and R. Nicholls, “Framing resilience to manage complex environmental systems,” One Earth, Vol.7, No.11, pp. 1941-1952, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.09.008
14. [14] J. Salomon, J. Behrensdorf, N. Winnewisser, M. Broggi, and M. Beer, “Multidimensional resilience decision-making for complex and substructured systems,” Resilient Cities Struct., Vol.1, No.3, pp. 61-78, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcns.2022.10.005
15. [15] M. Spaans and B. Waterhout, “Building up resilience in cities worldwide – Rotterdam as participant in the 100 Resilient Cities Programme,” Cities, Vol.61, pp. 109-116, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2016.05.011
16. [16] M. P. M. Meuwissen et al., “A framework to assess the resilience of farming systems,” Agric. Syst., Vol.176, Article No.102656, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102656
17. [17] V. Kantsler and V. Steinberg, “Orientation and dynamics of a vesicle in tank-treading motion in shear flow,” Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol.95, No.25, Article No.258101, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.258101
18. [18] A. K. Salomon, A. E. Quinlan, G. H. Pang, D. K. Okamoto, and L. Vazquez-Vera, “Measuring social-ecological resilience reveals opportunities for transforming environmental governance,” Ecol. Soc., Vol.24, No.3, Article No.16, 2019. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-11044-240316
19. [19] C. Folke et al., “Resilience thinking: Integrating resilience, adaptability and transformability,” Ecol. Soc., Vol.15, No.4, Article No.20, 2010. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03610-150420
20. [20] Y. Kashima, S. Wilson, D. Lusher, L. J. Pearson, and C. Pearson, “The acquisition of perceived descriptive norms as social category learning in social networks,” Soc. Netw., Vol.35, No.4, pp. 711-719, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2013.06.002
21. [21] M.-L. Moore et al., “Studying the complexity of change: Toward an analytical framework for understanding deliberate social-ecological transformations,” Ecol. Soc., Vol.19, No.4, Article No.54, 2014. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-06966-190454
22. [22] K. Sherrieb, F. H. Norris, and S. Galea, “Measuring capacities for community resilience,” Soc. Indic. Res., Vol.99, No.2, pp. 227-247, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9576-9
23. [23] J. E. Cinner and M. L. Barnes, “Social dimensions of resilience in social-ecological systems,” One Earth, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 51-56, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2019.08.003
24. [24] A. S. Khan et al., “Social system dynamics and community resilience: A mixed-methods approach,” J. Infrastruct. Policy Dev., Vol.8, No.15, Article No.7318, 2024. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd7318
25. [25] E. Carmen et al., “Building community resilience in a context of climate change: The role of social capital,” Ambio, Vol.51, No.6, pp. 1371-1387, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01678-9
26. [26] B. Mayer, “A review of the literature on community resilience and disaster recovery,” Curr. Environ. Health Rep., Vol.6, No.3, pp. 167-173, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-019-00239-3
27. [27] I. N. H. Maulana and T. F. Wardah, “Fostering community resilience through social capital,” J. Transform. Gov. Soc. Justice, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 1-10, 2023. https://doi.org/10.26905/j-tragos.v1i1.9229
28. [28] P. Cui and D. Li, “A SNA-based methodology for measuring the community resilience from the perspective of social capitals: Take Nanjing, China as an example,” Sustain. Cities Soc., Vol.53, Article No.101880, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2019.101880
29. [29] I. Fazey et al., “Adaptive capacity and learning to learn as leverage for social-ecological resilience,” Front. Ecol. Environ., Vol.5, No.7, pp. 375-380, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2007)5[375:ACALTL]2.0.CO;2
30. [30] F. H. Norris, S. P. Stevens, B. Pfefferbaum, K. F. Wyche, and R. L. Pfefferbaum, “Community resilience as a metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness,” Am. J. Community Psychol., Vol.41, Nos.1-2, pp. 127-150, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9156-6
31. [31] S. Hochrainer-Stigler, F. Laurien, S. Velev, A. Keating, and R. Mechler, “Standardized disaster and climate resilience grading: A global scale empirical analysis of community flood resilience,” J. Environ. Manage., Vol.276, Article No.111332, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111332
32. [32] F. Laurien, J. G. C. Martin, and S. Mehryar, “Climate and disaster resilience measurement: Persistent gaps in multiple hazards, methods, and practicability,” Clim. Risk Manag., Vol.37, Article No.100443, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.100443
33. [33] H. H. Oza et al., “A critical review on measurement tools of urban household and community resilience to disasters and environmental shocks and stressors among low- and middle-income countries: Theory, application, and guidance,” Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct., Vol.118, Article No.105267, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105267
34. [34] H. Tariq, C. Pathirage, and T. Fernando, “Measuring community disaster resilience at local levels: An adaptable resilience framework,” Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct., Vol.62, Article No.102358, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102358
35. [35] J. Mochizuki, A. Keating, W. Liu, S. Hochrainer-Stigler, and R. Mechler, “An overdue alignment of risk and resilience? A conceptual contribution to community resilience,” Disasters, Vol.42, No.2, pp. 361-391, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12239
36. [36] O. Dewa, D. Makoka, and O. A. Ayo-Yusuf, “Measuring community flood resilience and associated factors in rural Malawi,” J. Flood Risk Manag., Vol.16, No.1, Article No.e12874, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12874
37. [37] PRISMA, “Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses,” 2022. http://www.prisma-statement.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 [Accessed April 1, 2025]
38. [38] D. Moher, A. Liberati, J. Tetzlaff, D. G. Altman, and the PRISMA Group, “Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA Statement,” PLoS Med., Vol.62, No.7, Article No.e1000097, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
39. [39] A. W. Mushtaha et al., “A decision-making framework for prioritizing reconstruction projects in post-disaster recovery,” Results Eng., Vol.25, Article No.103693, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103693
40. [40] M. Moghadas, A. Rajabifard, A. Fekete, and T. Kötter, “A framework for scaling urban transformative resilience through utilizing volunteered geographic information,” ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf., Vol.11, No.2, Article No.114, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11020114
41. [41] L. Brogden et al., “A learning design framework for community resilience: International and transdisciplinary perspectives on a boundary object,” Int. J. Educ. Res. Open, Vol.3, Article No.100200, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100200
42. [42] P. Satyal, K. Shrestha, H. Ojha, B. Vira, and J. Adhikari, “A new Himalayan crisis? Exploring transformative resilience pathways,” Environ. Dev, Vol.23, pp. 47-56, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2017.02.010
43. [43] D. Mendonça, I. Amorim, and M. Kagohara, “An historical perspective on community resilience: The case of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake,” Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct., Vol.34, pp. 363-374, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.12.006
44. [44] Z. Zhang et al., “Analysis of the impact of dynamic economic resilience on post-disaster recovery ‘secondary shock’ and sustainable improvement of system performance,” Saf. Sci., Vol.144, Article No.105443, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105443
45. [45] Y. Song, C. Li, R. Olshansky, Y. Zhang, and Y. Xiao, “Are we planning for sustainable disaster recovery? Evaluating recovery plans after the Wenchuan earthquake,” J. Environ. Plan. Manag., Vol.60, No.12, pp. 2192-2216, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2017.1282346
46. [46] H. Cai, N. S.-N. Lam, L. Zou, Y. Qiang, and K. Li, “Assessing community resilience to coastal hazards in the Lower Mississippi River Basin,” Water, Vol.8, No.2, Article No.46, 2016. https://doi.org/10.3390/w8020046
47. [47] A. M. Pérez-Marin et al., “Agroecological and social transformations for coexistence with semi-aridity in Brazil,” Sustainability, Vol.9, No.6, Article No.990, 2017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9060990
48. [48] M. Moralli and G. Allegrini, “Crises redefined: Towards new spaces for social innovation in inner areas?,” Eur. Soc, Vol.23, No.S1, pp. S831-S843, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2020.1841263
49. [49] K. Kato, “Debating sustainability in tourism development: Resilience, traditional knowledge and community: A post-disaster perspective,” Tour. Plan. Dev., Vol.15, No.1, pp. 55-67, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2017.1312508
50. [50] M. S. Eid and I. H. El-Adaway, “Decision-making framework for holistic sustainable disaster recovery: Agent-based approach for decreasing vulnerabilities of the associated communities,” J. Infrastruct. Syst., Vol.24, No.3, Article No.04018009, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)IS.1943-555X.0000427
51. [51] M. Eid and I. El-Adaway, “Decreasing the economic vulnerability of the built environment throughout the disaster recovery processes: An agent based model framework,” Constr. Res. Congr. 2018, pp. 492-502, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784481288.048
52. [52] C. Cubelos, M. Onuki, and M. Esteban, “Design for sustainability on inclusive post-disaster recovery: Gamification techniques for collecting survivors’ experiences,” J. Des. Res., Vol.19, Nos.1-3, pp. 82-105, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1504/jdr.2021.121066
53. [53] K. B. Wells, B. F. Springgate, E. Lizaola, F. Jones, and A. Plough, “Community engagement in disaster preparedness and recovery: A tale of two cities – Los Angeles and New Orleans,” Psychiatr. Clin. N. Am., Vol.36, No.3, pp. 451-466, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2013.05.002
54. [54] H. Zhang and Z. Tao, “Evaluating China’s paired-assistance policy (PAP) in response to the Wenchuan earthquake: A sustainability perspective,” Sustainability, Vol.10, No.10, Article No.3732, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103732
55. [55] T. Nakashima and S. Okada, “Financial imbalances in regional disaster recovery following earthquakes – Case study concerning housing-cost expenditures in Japan,” Sustainability, Vol.10, No.9, Article No.3225, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093225
56. [56] E. Landaeta and J. Richman, “A model of build back better utilization: Long-term recovery groups and post-disaster housing recovery,” Sustainability, Vol.15, No.23, Article No.16424, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316424
57. [57] E. Carabine and E. Wilkinson, “How can local governance systems strengthen community resilience? A social-ecological systems approach,” Polit. Gov., Vol.4, No.4, pp. 62-73, 2016. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v4i4.746
58. [58] L. He, Z. Xie, Y. Peng, Y. Song, and S. Dai, “How can post-disaster recovery plans be improved based on historical learning? A comparison of Wenchuan earthquake and Lushan earthquake recovery plans,” Sustainability, Vol.11, No.17, Article No.4811, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174811
59. [59] C. M. Palinkas et al., “Innovations in coastline management with natural and nature-based features (NNBF): Lessons learned from three case studies,” Front. Built Environ., Vol.8, Article No.814180, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2022.814180
60. [60] X. Yang, X. Li, K. Lu, and Z.-R. Peng, “Integrating rural livelihood resilience and sustainability for post-disaster community relocation: A theoretical framework and empirical study,” Nat. Hazards, Vol.116, No.2, pp. 1775-1803, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05739-4
61. [61] M. Ellery, A. Javernick-Will, A. Liel, K. Dickinson, “Jurisdictional decision-making about building codes for resiliency and sustainability post-fire,” Environ. Res.: Infrastruct. Sustain., Vol.3, No.4, Article No.045004, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad02b8
62. [62] K. Brundiers and H. C. Eakin, “Leveraging post-disaster windows of opportunities for change towards sustainability: A framework,” Sustainability, Vol.10, No.5, Article No.1390, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051390
63. [63] N. S. N. Lam, M. Reams, K. Li, C. Li, and L. P. Mata, “Measuring community resilience to coastal hazards along the Northern Gulf of Mexico,” Nat. Hazards Rev., Vol.17, No.1, Article No.04015013, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)nh.1527-6996.0000193
64. [64] Ē. Lagzdiņa, I. Kudreņickis, R. Ernšteins, and A. Lontone, “Municipal coastal governance towards rural community resilience development: Scenarios and tools,” WIT Trans. Ecol. Environ., Vol.226, pp. 297-309, 2017. https://doi.org/10.2495/sdp170261
65. [65] A. Matsumoto and M. Ishiwatari, “Navigating sustainability and inclusivity: Women-led community-based businesses in post-disaster recovery,” Sustainability, Vol.16, No.14, Article No.5865, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145865
66. [66] M. M. Zain, “Overcoming the deluge: The community resilience in Temp Lake, Indonesia,” Pak. J. Life Soc. Sci., Vol.20, No.2, pp. 252-263, 2022. https://doi.org/10.57239/pjlss-2022-20.2.008
67. [67] K. Alam and M. H. Rahman, “Post-disaster recovery in the cyclone Aila affected coastline of Bangladesh: Women’s role, challenges and opportunities,” Nat. Hazards, Vol.96, No.3, pp. 1067-1090, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-019-03591-7
68. [68] M. Bunch et al., “Quantifying community resilience in South Sudan: The FEED project (Fortifying Equality and Economic Diversification),” Ecol. Soc., Vol.25, No.2, Article No.12, 2020. https://doi.org/10.5751/es-11450-250212
69. [69] M. A. Schreurs, “Reconstruction and revitalization in Fukushima a decade after the ‘triple disaster’ struck: Striving for sustainability and a new future vision,” Int. J. Disaster Risk. Reduct., Vol.53, Article No.102006, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.102006
70. [70] S. Orchard, S. Gerrity, and D. R. Schiel, “Re-thinking recreational fishing – How a natural disaster presents insights and opportunities for achieving sustainability and equity objectives,” Mar. Policy, Vol.159, Article No.105916, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105916
71. [71] P. Pradhananga and M. ElZomor, “Revamping sustainability efforts post-disaster by adopting circular economy resilience practices,” Sustainability, Vol.15, No.22, Article No.15870, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215870
72. [72] C. E. Haque, M. A. K. Azad, and M.-U.-I. Choudhury, “Social learning, innovative adaptation and community resilience to disasters: The case of flash floods in Bangladesh,” Disaster Prev. Manag., Vol.31, No.5, pp. 601-618, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm-12-2020-0373
73. [73] Q. He and M. Faure, “Strengthening resilience and sustainability for post-disaster recovery: A comparative law and economics analysis on smart mixes between mechanisms,” Sustainability, Vol.16, No.21, Article No.9534, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219534
74. [74] S. M. A. Hosseini, R. Ghalambordezfooly, and A. de la Fuente, “Sustainability model to select optimal site location for temporary housing units: Combining GIS and the MIVES–Knapsack model,” Sustainability, Vol.14, No.8, Article No.4453, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084453
75. [75] G. Sou, “Sustainable resilience? Disaster recovery and the marginalization of sociocultural needs and concerns,” Prog. Dev. Stud., Vol.19, No.2, pp. 144-159, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464993418824192
76. [76] L. Wexler et al., “The development of a measure of Alaska native community resilience factors through knowledge co-production,” Prog. Community Health Partnersh.: Res. Educ. Action, Vol.14, No.4, pp. 443-459, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2020.0050
77. [77] D. Kyne and D. Kyei, “Understanding associations between disasters and sustainability, resilience, and poverty: An empirical study of the last two decades,” Sustainability, Vol.16, No.17, Article No.7416, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177416
78. [78] United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), “Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction 2019,” UNDRR, 2019. https://www.undrr.org/publication/global-assessment-report-disaster-risk-reduction-2019 [Accessed April 1, 2025]
79. [79] UNDRR, “Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction 2015–2030,” UNDRR, 2015. https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030 [Accessed April 1, 2025]