Co-benefits and trade-offs of urban resilience for sustainable development goals (SDGs)

Despite extensive research on urban resilience, a gap remains in understanding the co-benefits and trade-offs between resilience-building efforts and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This systematic review aims to address this gap by analyzing the literature to identify how urban resilience initiatives can contribute to and/or detract from achieving SDGs. Results show that urban resilience and SDGs are closely linked, with advancements in one domain reinforcing progress in the other. Results show that existing research is mainly focused on resilience strategies that support SDGs related to environmental sustainability and climate resilience, such as SDG 11, SDG 13, and SDG 6. However, socio-economic and institutional SDGs, like SDG 1, SDG 2, and SDG 10, are underexplored. Trade-offs are not well examined, but they relate to equity and justice, such as the displacement of vulnerable populations and environmental degradation. Integrated approaches that balance co-benefits and trade-offs are critical to ensure inclusive and equitable urban development. Such integrated approaches can support efforts toward long-term sustainability. The review provides solutions to enhance resilience while facilitating the achievement of SDGs. Specifically, it emphasizes governance-related solutions such as community engagement, awareness raising, capacity building, and collaborative actions. Furthermore, Nature-based solutions (NbS) that focus on stormwater management, green/blue infrastructure development, and biodiversity conservation are emphasized for their pivotal role in enhancing urban resilience and contributing to SDGs. This review informs policy frameworks and provides strategies for creating resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments, contributing to the ongoing discourse on resilient urbanism.