Pilot application of a sustainable and disaster-resilient infrastructure assessment framework: Evidence from Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

Urban infrastructure in developing countries faces mounting pressures to achieve both sustainability and disaster resilience amid limited data and institutional capacity. This study presents the first empirical application of a Sustainable and Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure (SDRI) assessment framework to the road and bridge network of Bandung, Indonesia. Using secondary data from the Bandung City Government, the National Disaster Management Agency, and the Central Bureau of Statistics, complemented by expert interpretation, the framework evaluates seven dimensions – risk, vulnerability, resistance, recovery time, social, economic and environmental. The assessment reveals a highly unbalanced profile: while Bandung demonstrates strong reactive capacities in the recovery time (3.29) and social (3.62) dimensions, its proactive components, such as risk (0.00) and vulnerability (0.43), remain critically weak. The city’s infrastructure thus exhibits resilience in restoring function after disruption but lacks anticipatory strength to mitigate risks beforehand. Economic fragility (1.50) and the absence of integrated hazard-based planning further constrain systemic resilience. Methodologically, the study validates the SDRI framework’s feasibility for data-limited contexts and its adaptability across infrastructure types. The findings underscore the need to transition from reactive repair-based practices towards proactive, risk-informed, and adaptively governed infrastructure planning.
Contribution: By operationalising the sustainability–resilience nexus within an actual municipal context, this research bridges the gap between conceptual frameworks and practical assessment, offering a replicable approach for urban policymakers seeking to institutionalise resilience in sustainable infrastructure development.