Building resilient communities: The impact of social capital on disaster recovery in Oman

Natural hazards pose significant threats to society, highlighting the need for resilience and risk mitigation frameworks. This study investigates the role of social capital in disaster preparedness and response in Oman with an objective to identify key predictors that shape public perceptions of these efforts. Using ordinal logistic regression (OLR) analysis of quantitative survey data from 436 participants, the study identifies significant predictors shaping public perceptions of effectiveness in both governmental and community-driven disaster management. Findings demonstrate that trust, commitment, communication, and awareness are pivotal to enhancing community resilience, with trust emerging as the most influential factor. In addition, the analysis reveals that community efforts are often perceived as more effective than government initiatives. These results advocate for the integration of social capital elements within disaster management policies and emphasize importance of local engagement. The study offers actionable insights for policymakers to strengthen community-government collaboration and advance disaster resilience strategies.