ASSESSING CITY RESILIENCE USING CITY RESILIENCE PROFILING TOOL CASE STUDY: NABLUS CITY | تقييم منعة المدينة باستخدام أداة تحديد المنعة حالة دراسية: مدينة نابلس

Objective: This study aims at evaluating the resilience of Nablus City, with a specific focus on the implementation and assessment of its Sustainable Development Investment Plan (SDIP). The study seeks to measure the city’s progress toward resilience-based sustainable development, while identifying areas for improvement and proposing recommendations to strengthen future efforts. Approach: Drawing on the UN-Habitat framework, “City Resilience Profiling Tool”, the researcher developed an assessment framework combining “Disaster Risk Reduction” (DRR) and sustainable development elements, aligning with global best practices and local challenges. One of the main pillars of this study is a revision of both versions of Nablus SDIP, the previous SDIP of (2018-2021) and the ongoing SDIP of (2023 – 2026). This evaluation was conducted based on a tailored-fit monitoring and evaluation matrix . A stakeholder analysis was conducted as part of the study categorizing key actors into a variety of groups. The assessment emphasizes the crucial role that each group plays in shaping the city’s resilience strategy. Accordingly, the research proposes a roadmap for enhancing stakeholder engagement to ensure that the SDIP process benefits from their active and informed involvement. Another pillar was the integration of DRR-related “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) into local development practices. Being a core aspect of this evaluation, the research incorporated the “seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction” to develop a set of measurable indicators, linking local resilience efforts to sustainable development goals. Results: The analysis reveals that regardless of the significant strides Nablus municipality has achieved in implementing resilience-based development including their high commitment, there are still key areas that require improvement. In particular, the integration of resilience across various sectors remains inconsistent. Fiscal, communal, and institutional constraints continue to impact the city’s capacity to fully achieve its SDIP vision. Furthermore, a robust municipal monitoring system is lacking, leading to difficulties in tracking and measuring disaster risk reduction efforts and creating a gap in data availability and quality. As for stakeholders, it was identified that governmental bodies and the private sector have strong engagement practices. However, CBOs, which are essential for local ownership and community participation, are often underrepresented. In regard to the progress in the achievement of DRR-related SDGs, the study reveals the low levels of progress in each of the related indicators and the gap in the availability of required data to measure and assess progress. Conclusion: The established framework is a tool designed to assist the local authorities, in evaluating the progress of SDIP initiatives, track disaster risk reduction efforts, and assess stakeholder engagement in promoting the concept of resilience-based sustainable development. Its unique contribution lies in the absence of similar studies addressing resilience-based sustainable development within the Palestinian context, offering a model that can be adapted to other cities facing similar challenges. Recommendations: The study emphasizes the importance of investing in improving municipal governance, institutional capacity, and financial resources to promote the concept of resilience-based sustainable development. Specific recommendations include the establishment of a robust municipal monitoring system, the development of real-time data collection tools, and targeted training programs for municipal staff. Furthermore, enhancing the participation of various stakeholders in the SDIP process, particularly by involving CBOs and local communities in all stages of design, implementation, and evaluation, is crucial for ensuring the success of the plan and promoting local ownership of resilience initiatives. Additional recommendations focus on integrating resilience into urban planning practices by strengthening risk-informed approaches to land use and construction and incorporating climate change adaptation strategies into the SDIP. The study also calls for adopting technology and innovation in urban management, to improve risk mapping and environmental monitoring. Investing in smart city solutions and continuous research collaborations with academic institutions can further enhance the city’s resilience capacity. Finally, knowledge-sharing platforms with other cities that have successfully implemented resilience-based sustainable development strategies could facilitate peer-to-peer learning and drive further progress.