Role of social capital in local knowledge evolution and transfer in a network of rural communities coping with landslide disasters in Sri Lanka

Landslide disasters occur suddenly, causing multiple socio-economic burdens on developing countries. Preserving and enhancing adapting capacity of locals to landslide disasters is a sustainable solution. Few villages are still sustainably surviving and dealing with the damages caused by landslides by adopting to local knowledge and subsequently, passing the knowledge to the next generations. Therefore, investigating social capital features and their influence on local knowledge transfer of landslide disasters is essential for preserving these valuable local knowledge systems. Thus, this study investigates the social capital features of Etanwala and Mandaramnuwara villages in Sri Lanka since the communities residing in these villages have effectively adapted to landslide disasters. In-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted to collect data related to social networks and other social capital dimensions. Social network analysis was conducted to determine the structural dimensions of these communities, and text data coding was performed with the acquired interview data to analyze the cognitive and relational dimensions. Consequently, the elderly group was found to be the dominant group in transfer of local knowledge within the networks. Moreover, the findings presented the influence and importance of social capital in preserving the local knowledge system of landslide disaster.