Abstract

Natural hazard-influenced disasters, sustainable development, and roads are closely intertwined. Governments and funding agencies worldwide are increasingly focused on delivering disaster-resilient road infrastructure. However, the multifaceted, ubiquitous, and contested nature of road networks means that making them resilient to disasters is a complex and challenging task. In this paper, we synthesise discussions that took place during a one-day hybrid workshop with 50 world-leading practitioners, policymakers, and physical and social scientists to explore the intersections between roads, development and disaster resilience. Two key themes emerge: (i) the political ecology of the resilience of road networks and (ii) the key players and politics surrounding roads. We go on to present working definitions of disaster resilience for these two themes to help shape future interdisciplinary research on road disaster resilience: (i) Through political ecology, road disaster resilience is understood within the context of uneven power dynamics and the political work done by applying a resilience lens to the research objects in question; and (ii) through key players and politics, road disaster resilience can be achieved through the effective management and coordination of financers, knowledge holders, and those with ownership over the road. In synthesising key themes, we ultimately develop the concept of “Road Networks” as a framing device that crosscuts these key themes for future interdisciplinary road disaster resilience research. We argue that road network resilience emerges from the relationships between roads and other transport and service networks, to political and economic structures and systems, and individuals and communities.