A systems approach to vulnerability and resilience in post-Katrina New Orleans

Abstract

This chapter examines a systems approach for understanding the complex linkages between vulnerability and resilience in disaster recovery. We identify several key features of complex systems in general and the complex system of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in particular. This chapter explores the role of information in complex systems, as well as the role of The New Orleans Index in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. We also examine the influence of collective action, culture, and aid for harnessing information for disaster recovery planning. This chapter concludes that a recovery indicator project, such as The New Orleans Index, will prove valuable in similar contexts, as will mechanisms that facilitate the collection and analysis of additional and more granular information for communities impacted by a disaster.