Defining resilience

A suitable definition for resilience would seem to include the following: • the different levels of system to which damage can occur; • anticipating the long-term and short-term possibilities for risk; • the possibility of change to the system; • the multiple dimensions of future adaptation and development, including the importance of inclusivity. [...] While many of the above definitions are concerned with potential vulnerabilities to adversity and risk across the board, it is the charitable institutions that provide a focus on the rights of individuals and communities, and the importance of defining roles and responsibilities when in positions of potential stress and current shocks. [...] The functions of these bodies are to ensure, according to the Act, that every relevant sector in Mauritius is suitably adapted to climate change, and particularly the Department of Climate Change is intended to develop policies of climate risk mitigation and adaptation, to the extent even of taking charge of climate change database monitoring and reporting, implementing research into climate chang. [...] Planning and The much-amended Town and Country Planning Act land use is the historic statutory undergird for the planning system, with acts such as the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Planning Act 2008 and the Housing and Planning Act 2016 – to name a few – further fleshing out the role of local government in ensuring a sustainable local environment. [...] The above is not intended to provide a comprehensive accounting of the statutory basis for resilience and adaptation – rather, it illustrates the broad array of legislation currently dealing with the topic at local level and provides an indicative map of the complex policy landscape which must be navigated to streamline the role of councils in climate adaptation.