Resilience is the ability to bounce back. With catastrophic fires across large parts of Australia at the moment, resilience is being tested. There are short-term ‘bounces’ like these hard working firefighters grabbing a quick break, any way they can before the next round of solid work. Individuals and communities are in the immediate ‘bounce’ of saving life, animals and property. There are resources being rallied, evacuation centres set up, help being sent.
When the flames are finally extinguished the longer ‘bounce’ of resilience begins – rebuilding houses and communities, restocking farms, recreating infrastructure. There will be even longer bounces in our environment as plants and animals try to re-establish themselves in damaged areas. Some places will take decades to recover, if they ever fully do.
