The emergency management sector is increasingly looking to foster community resilience as a way of helping communities prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters and emergency events. Building individual and community resilience has been the core focus of the community sector for decades - community sector organisations are embedded in their local communities, build and maintain social connections and networks, and develop the strengths of people and families, all of which contribute to day to day resilience.

Governments can begin harnessing the power of community organisations in disaster planning. With bushfires, heatwaves and floods on the rise, Building resilience communities shows why it’s time official emergency management strategies embraced the experience and connections of community organisations.