Community disaster resilience is a prominent approach to disaster risk management that focuses on the ability of all community’s stakeholders to effectively, timely and promptly coexist, reduce, cope with, and manage disasters and emergencies through integrated, comprehensive, participatory and optimistic actions. This book begins with a definition of disaster resilience and discusses its conceptual framework and key domains, including social, cultural, institutional, environmental, economic, and structural dimensions. It then explores the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of disaster resilience in communities, with a particular focus on urban settings, drawing on the editor's studies and experience. In addition, the book examines important aspects of disaster resilience, including hospital resilience, emergency workers' resilience, spiritual disaster resilience, mental resilience in disasters, children resilience in disasters, women disaster resilience, elderly disaster resilience and climate change adaptation strategies and actions.
 
The book explains lessons learnt from earthquakes, floods, and COVID-19 pandemic to improve health system resilience. The main content is based on original research conducted by the author and his team.

Dr. Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh is a physician, public health specialist, and full professor with more than 20 years of experience in disaster risk reduction, public health emergencies, climate change, and health systems resilience. He holds senior academic and leadership positions at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and serves on several national scientific and professional organizations. His work bridges research, policy, and practice, with a particular focus on strengthening resilience to climate-related and disaster-related health challenges.

Dr. Ostadtaghizadeh has authored or edited more than 20 scholarly books and published over 150 peer-reviewed articles on topics including disaster resilience, climate change adaptation, flood and heatwave risk, and healthcare in emergencies. He has supervised over 50 doctoral and postgraduate research projects and has led or advised numerous international initiatives supported by global organizations in areas such as primary healthcare resilience, health needs assessment, reproductive and refugee health, and urban disaster risk reduction. His contributions to research, education, and public health practice have been recognized through multiple national awards.

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, PhD, MPH, is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a nationally recognized leader in emergency medicine, injury prevention, and global health. Over a career spanning more than two decades, he has combined clinical practice, research, education, and health systems leadership to advance access to high-quality acute care. As a federally funded investigator and educator, Dr. Hirshon has led major research and training initiatives and has served in numerous leadership roles within national professional organizations dedicated to emergency medicine and public health.

Dr. Hirshon's work has focused on strengthening health systems and building capacity for disaster preparedness, injury prevention, and emergency care both in the United States and internationally. Through long-standing collaborations in Egypt and the Middle East, he has helped train more than a thousand physicians and health professionals in trauma care, disaster response, and injury research methods. His commitment to fostering resilient communities and strengthening local capacity makes him particularly well suited to serve as editor of Community Disaster Resilience, bringing together diverse perspectives on how communities can prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Mostafa Mohaghegh is a disaster risk reduction and management specialist with more than 30 years of experience at national, regional, and international levels. He has held senior leadership and advisory roles across the humanitarian and development sectors, supporting disaster risk governance, resilience building, and emergency management initiatives in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

Throughout his career, he has contributed to the development of disaster risk reduction frameworks, legislation, and national strategies, including initiatives related to climate adaptation and disaster resilience. He has also played key roles in major international disaster response operations and in advancing global dialogue on disaster risk reduction.

He has worked extensively with governments, international organizations, and humanitarian agencies, leading and coordinating multidisciplinary programs and partnerships. He has published widely on disaster risk reduction, disaster management, and international humanitarian law, and has lectured at numerous international and regional forums.