Resilience Capacity Assessment of Communities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the resilience capacity of communities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The resilience capacity was accessed based on the absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity of the communities using Resilience Capacity Assessment Questionnaire (RCAQ). RCAQ was administered to four hundred (400) respondents and data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that communities were found to be within low (138), moderate (429) and high (228) vulnerability levels. The absorptive strength of the communities revealed that they have access to their saving during shock event such as flood (51.8%, Mean = 3.48, SD= 1.17) while the identified challenge was the lack of insurance coverage for various socio-economics activities in the aftermath of hazard event (51.5%, Mean = 2.90, SD= 1.33). Communities showed strength in the adaptive capacity such as diversified means of livelihood within their community (57.7%, Mean = 3.15, SD= 1.09); however, they lack early warning and natural resources management training (47.9%, Mean = 1.95, SD= 1.07). The communities showed strength in transformative attribute such as market availability for household to sell and buy agricultural product (68.5%, Mean = 3.23 SD= 1.17) but lack access to formal safety net in the community (53.6%, Mean = 2.09 SD= 1.04). The outcome revealed that resilience capacity building was hindered by poor social amenities (25.6%) and communities should be in control of their resources (25.6%) to improve resilience capacity. Conclusively, communities’ resilience capacity building process was lacking from the absorptive and transformative capacities perspective; hence, there is need for government-community engagement as a means to develop community resilience capacity.