Exploration of the feasibility of a futuring model for building resilience in water resource management systems of the Piedmont-Triad Region of North Carolina.

摘要

This qualitative study explored the feasibility of the Multidimensional Resiliency Model (MRM), which was designed as a tool to support the need for building resiliency in water distribution systems in the Piedmont-Triad Region (PTR) of North Carolina. The researcher explains WRM from different perspectives, which led to the development of the MRM. The PTR consists of twelve counties in the upper central portion of North Carolina and has grown considerably since the turn of the 21st century. Because "water is becoming scarcer as residential developments continue to grow" (Brzozowski, 2011, p. 22), it is the responsibility of water utilities and other governing authorities to search for mitigative techniques to sustain the resource. The development of the model is reflective of some of the key concerns observed in the PTR. Water resource and environmental professionals were solicited to participate in a structured interview format to provide feedback on the MRM. A thematic analysis was performed to identify support for, and concerns about, building resiliency in the PTR using the MRM. Specific themes and categories were derived, which led to the reconstruction of the MRM. The study concludes with summarized information, rendering further recommendations for the development of the MRM.