preprints.org > environmental and earth sciences > environmental science > doi: 10.20944/preprints201811.0528.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 20 November 2018 / Approved: 21 November 2018 / Online: 21 November 2018 (14:01:33 CET)

The Wester coastal Delta zone of the Netherlands, the relatively more crowded area of the country hosting ten out of seventeen heading to twenty million people, asks for a growing alertness on the topic of resiliency the light of climate-change, like many coastal urban areas do. Approaches of resiliency are often pre-dominated by governmental rescue planning and mobilization of technology innovative solutions. By comparing the float disasters of the 2015 Katrina and 2012 Sandy thunder-storms that hit respectively New Orleans and New York we can learn that the behaviour of people can make the difference in overcoming climate change impact disasters. Post-PhD research with focus on the Dutch Zaanstreek-Waterland area north of the city of Amsterdam, where in 1916 a severe flood took place, proved such. The outcome from focus group sessions is that the alertness and availability of the people to act in case of disaster urgency makes a positive difference, if the memory of the area residents to previous disaster handling is kept alert. This Zaanstreek-Waterland research showed that the disaster from 100 year before still kept the residents alert into resiliency. With that result the defi-nition of resilience should be improved by adding: ‘the interplay in a triangular relationship of civil servants, technicians and residents’.

Resilience, Climate-change, Social-capital and Resident-empowerment.

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

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