Reevaluating 'Resilience': The case of Beirut port explosion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3112/erdkunde.2025.02.02Keywords:
crisis, reconstruction, urban resilience, trajectories, Beirut, LebanonAbstract
This paper examines the intricate dynamics of urban resilience and recovery in the context of ongoing and overlapping crises, with Beirut serving as a focal case. Following the 2020 port explosion, Beirut’s recovery has been shaped by political instability, economic challenges, and fragmented governance, highlighting the limitations of traditional approaches to resilience and normalcy. The methodology adopts a multi-scalar approach, exploring the roles of local communities, NGOs, and international stakeholders in the city’s recovery process. It emphasizes the disparities in reconstruction efforts and the critical role of neighborhood-level initiatives in addressing localized needs. This analysis calls for a reconsideration of the concepts of ‘resilience’ and ‘normality’ in a context of ongoing crises, where stability is supplanted by constant adaptation across various spatial and temporal scales. The study underscores the necessity of redefining these frameworks to better understand how cities navigate persistent instability and maintain functionality under continuous disruption.
References
Adger WN (2000) Social and ecological resilience: Are they related? Progress in Human Geography 24: 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1191/030913200701540465
Ahmed N (2016) Is the concept of “resilience” useful within cities facing both conflict & disaster risk? Using Beirut as a case study. Birmingham, UK.
Alameddine L (2021) In Beirut’s disaster-stricken neighborhoods, nightlife (almost) gets its rhythm back. L’Orient Today: 1 June. https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1263697/in-beiruts-disaster-stricken-neighborhoods-nightlife-almost-gets-its-rhythm-back.html
Aschan-Leygonie C (2000) Vers une analyse de la résilience des systèmes spatiaux. L’Espace Géographique 29: 64–77. https://doi.org/10.3406/spgeo.2000.1968
Audureau A (2020) Patrick Coulombel, cofondateur d’Architectes de l’urgence: ‘À Beyrouth, il faut reloger les habitants avant l’hiver’. CNEWS: 1 September. https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2020-09-01/patrick-coulombel-cofondateur-darchitectes-de-lurgence-beyrouth-il-faut-reloger-les
Batty M (2008) The size, scale, and shape of cities. Science 319: 769–771. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1151419
Beirut Urban Lab (2023) Beirut built environment database. https://beiruturbanlab.com/en/Details/561
Beirut Urban Lab (2024) Is Lebanon Becoming another “Republic of the NGOs”? http://beiruturbanlab.com/en/Details/697
Beucher S, Meschinet De Richemond N, Reghezza M (2008) Les territoires du risque: L’exemple des inondations. http://geoprodig.cnrs.fr/items/show/30604
Bixler P, Lieberknecht K, Atshan S, Zutz CP, Richter S, Belaire A (2020) Reframing urban governance for resilience implementation: The role of network closure and other insights from a network approach. Cities 103: 102726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102726
Bou Akar H (2018) For the war yet to come: Planning Beirut’s frontiers. Stanford. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503605619
Brown K (2014) Global environmental change I: A social turn for resilience? Progress in Human Geography 38: 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132513498837
Buccianti-Barakat L, Hesse M (2022) The myth of Beirut’s resilience: Introduction to the thematic issue. Urban Planning 7: 82–86. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v7i1.5317
Cascio J (2009) The next big thing: Resilience. Foreign Policy: 28 September. https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/09/28/the-next-big-thing-resilience/
Charlesworth E (2006) Architects without frontiers. War, reconstruction and design responsibility. Oxford and Burlington.
Chehayeb K, Sewell A (2020) Local groups step up to lead Beirut blast response. The New Humanitarian: 18 August. https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2020/08/18/Lebanon-Beirut-explosion-local-aid-response
Chelleri L, Waters J, Olazabal M, Minucci G (2015) Resilience trade-offs: addressing multiple scales and temporal aspects of urban resilience. Environment and Urbanization 27: 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247814550780
Dovers SR, Handmer JW (1992) Uncertainty, sustainability and change. Global Environmental Change 2: 262–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/0959-3780(92)90044-8
Folke C (2006) Resilience: The emergence of a perspective for social–ecological systems analyses. Global Environmental Change 16: 253–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.04.002
Friend R, Moench M (2013) What is the purpose of urban climate resilience? Implications for addressing poverty and vulnerability. Urban Climate 6: 98–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2013.09.002
Godschalk DR (2003) Urban hazard mitigation: Creating resilient cities. Natural Hazards Review 4: 136–143. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1527-6988(2003)4:3(136)
Grünewald F, Bachawati S, Abi Habib Khoury R, Paulikevitch G (2022) Etude collective ‘Urgence Beyrouth’. ALNAP: 29 July. https://alnap.org/help-library/resources/etude-collective-urgence-beyrouth/
Haddad R (2022) International and local actors in disaster response. Responding to the Beirut explosion. Milton Park, Abingdon. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003222545
Hage Boutros P (2021) La reconstruction du port de Beyrouth: un chantier crucial laissé à l’abandon. L’Orient-Le Jour : 4 August. https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1270484/la-reconstruction-de-beyrouth-et-de-son-port-un-chantier-crucial-laisse-a-labandon.html
Hariri N, Bou Nader R, Alaa-Eddine T, Al-Dirani A, Bekdache N, Buccianti-Barakat L, Chamoun Y, Feghali Y, Ghantous T, Haidar J, Haidar R, Kerbage H, Machichi Y, Makhlouf Y, Mounzer M, Saksouk A, Scala M, Yassin J, Zarzour M, Zouain G (2021) Évaluation d’impact de l’explosion du port de Beyrouth. https://hal.science/hal-03269510
Holling CS (1973) Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 4: 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.04.110173.000245
Homsi N (2020) After Beirut blast, Lebanese volunteers deliver relief the state fails to provide. NPR World: 27 August. https://www.npr.org/2020/08/27/905811376/after-beirut-blast-lebanese-volunteers-deliver-relief-the-state-fails-to-provide
Klein RJT, Nicholls RJ, Thomalla F (2003) Resilience to natural hazards: How useful is this concept? Environmental Hazards 5: 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazards.2004.02.001
Kowayes J, Salloum T, Haidar S, Merhi G, Tokajian S (2021) COVID-19 Pandemic in Lebanon: One year later, what have we learnt? ASM Journals. https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00351-21
La Croix (2021) A Beyrouth, la reconstruction du port attise les convoitises internationales. https://www.la-croix.com/A-Beyrouth-reconstruction-port-attise-convoitises-internationales-2021-04-14-1301150832
Larrere C, Larrere R (1997) La crise environnementale. Paris.
Leichenko R (2011) Climate change and urban resilience. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 3: 164–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2010.12.014
Le Monde (2024) Au Liban, la difficile quête d’un logement pour les familles qui fuient les bombardements. https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2024/09/26/au-liban-la-difficile-quete-d-un-logement-pour-les-familles-qui-fuient-les-bombardements_6334597_3210.html
Libnanews (2024) Les défis de la reconstruction du Liban et des aides internationales après l’explosion du port de Beyrouth. https://libnanews.com/les-defis-de-la-reconstruction-du-liban-et-des-aides-internationales-apres-lexplosion-du-port-de-beyrouth/
Lhomme S, Serre D, Diab Y, Laganier R (2013) Analyzing resilience of urban networks: A preliminary step towards more flood-resilient cities. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 13: 221–230. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-221-2013
L’orient-Le Jour (2020) Le coût des dégâts dépasse les 15 milliards de dollars, selon Aoun. https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1229162/le-cout-des-degats-depasse-les-15-milliards-de-dollars-selon-aoun.html
L’orient-Le Jour (2024) En images: retour sur la guerre au Liban en 2024. https://www.lorientlejour.com/multimedia/1441638/en-images-retour-sur-la-guerre-au-liban-en-2024.html
Meerow S, Newell JP (2015) Resilience and complexity: A bibliometric review and prospects for industrial ecology. Journal of Industrial Ecology 19: 236–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12252
Meschinet De Richemond N (2012) Risques, crises et territoires: Réflexions géographiques et historiques sur les cindyniques. Habilitation à diriger des recherches, Université Paul Valéry - Montpellier III. Montpellier.
Michel-Kerjan E (2000) Risques à grande échelle dans les systèmes en réseau: quelques interrogations, February. CIRANO Working Papers 2000s-02. Montreal. https://ideas.repec.org/p/cir/cirwor/2000s-02.html
Michel-Kerjan E (2003) Terrorisme à grande échelle: Partage de risques et politiques publiques. Revue d’économie politique 113: 625–648.
Michel-Kerjan E (2007) Risques à grande échelle, l’autre versant de la globalisation. La Jaune et la Rouge. https://www.lajauneetlarouge.com/risques-a-grande-echelle-lautre-versant-de-la-globalisation/
Nagle J (2021) Liban: Un an après l’explosion de Beyrouth, un État défaillant aux prises avec la pauvreté et le communautarisme. The Conversation: 10 August. http://theconversation.com/liban-un-an-apres-lexplosion-de-beyrouth-un-etat-defaillant-aux-prises-avec-la-pauvrete-et-le-communautarisme-165794
Nassar CK, Nastacă CC (2021) The Beirut port explosion: Social, urban and economic impact. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management 16: 42–52.
November V (2013) La spatialité des risques dans une société du risque et après. Bourg D, Papaux A (eds) Du risque à la menace: 277–286. Paris. https://doi.org/10.3917/puf.bourg.2013.02.0277
OXFAM France (2021) Six mois après l’explosion à Beyrouth, quelle est la situation dans la capitale du Liban? https://www.oxfamfrance.org/humanitaire-et-urgences/six-mois-apres-lexplosion-beyrouth-quelle-situation-au-liban/
Pendall R, Foster KA, Cowell M (2010) Resilience and regions: Building understanding of the metaphor. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 3: 71–84. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsp028
Pickett STA, Cadenasso ML, Grove JM (2004) Resilient cities: Meaning, models, and metaphor for integrating the ecological, socio-economic, and planning realms. Landscape and Urban Planning 69: 369–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.10.035
Pigeon P (2005) Géographie critique des risques. Paris.
Pimm SL (1984) The complexity and stability of ecosystems. Nature 307: 321–326. https://doi.org/10.1038/307321a0
Public Works Studio (2022) Homelessness in the wake of the disaster. Public Works Studio: 19 January. https://publicworksstudio.com/en/homelessness-in-the-wake-of-the-disaster/
Rafferty M (2022) Relational urbanisation, resilience, revolution: Beirut as a relational city? Urban Planning 7: 183–192. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v7i1.4798
Reghezza M (2006) Réflexions autour de la vulnérabilité métropolitaine: La métropole parisienne face au risque de crue centennale. PhD thesis, Université de Nanterre-Paris X. https://theses.hal.science/tel-00123255
Reghezza-Zitt M (2016) Penser la vulnérabilité dans un contexte de globalisation des risques grâce aux échelles spatiales et temporelles. Espace Populations Sociétés 2016/3. https://doi.org/10.4000/eps.6641
Rozelier M (2021) Reconstruction de Beyrouth: l’État se défausse sur la société civile. Le Figaro: 2 January. https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/reconstruction-de-beyrouth-l-etat-se-defausse-sur-la-societe-civile-20201230
Sader MJ (2021) Après le 4 août, comment les ONG locales ont géré les dizaines de millions de dons privés. L’Orient-Le Jour: 20 December. https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1285322/apres-le-4-aout-comment-les-ong-locales-ont-gere-les-dizaines-de-millions-de-dons-prives.html
Solecki W, Leichenko R, O’brien K (2011) Climate change adaptation strategies and disaster risk reduction in cities: Connections, contentions, and synergies. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 3: 135–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2011.03.001
THIMAR-LSESD (2022) Lebanon: Timeline of a country in crisis. https://www.thimar.org/lebanon-timeline-of-a-country-in-crisis/
Thomas N, Abi Nader Y (2020) ‘Doing the government’s job’: Beirut volunteers steer relief effort. Reuters: 26 August. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/doing-the-governments-job-beirut-volunteers-steer-relief-effort-idUSKBN25M1TD/
UNDP (2021) ‘We felt like beggars’:Assistance, recovery and social tensions after the Beirut explosion. https://www.undp.org/lebanon/publications/we-felt-beggars-assistance-recovery-and-social-tensions-after-beirut-explosion
Van den Bosch E (2023) ‘Le souvenir est encore douloureux, et terrifiant’: Trois ans après l’explosion au port de Beyrouth, les cicatrices des Libanais peinent à se refermer. La Libre : 8 April. https://www.lalibre.be/international/moyen-orient/2023/08/04/le-souvenir-est-encore-douloureux-et-terrifiant-trois-ans-apres-lexplosion-au-port-de-beyrouth-les-cicatrices-des-libanais-peinent-a-se-refermer-SEDOHPULBBGRLCG35ZBA2TYZXY/
Verdeil É (2020) Beyrouth après l’explosion du 4 août à la lumière des reconstructions précédentes. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-03154301
Verdeil É (2022) Après l’explosion de Beyrouth, réinventer l’urbanisme? Revue Internationale d’Urbanisme 13. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04130907
World Bank (2020) Beirut rapid damage and needs assessment. Washington. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/269891598854114103
White GF (1945) Human adjustment to floods: a geographical approach to the flood problem in the United States. Chicago.
Zimmerman R, Faris C (2011) Climate change mitigation and adaptation in North American cities. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 3: 181–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2010.12.004
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Manuella Habib
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
