Service-based resilience-building in Anthropogenic Socioeconomic-Ecological-Technological (ASET) systems: Hong Kong as the case

Building resilience in human settlements has garnered increasing attention due to heightened climate-related risks and ongoing urbanization, particularly in regions of the Global South. Connecting academic research with practical resilience-building efforts necessitates approaches that are robust, transparent, and scalable. Based on the Stimulus-Recovery-Adaptation (SRA) model, this study introduces an alternative service-based framework for assessing and enhancing the resilience of Anthropogenic Socioeconomic-Ecological-Technological (ASET) systems exposed to climate-related risks, with a case study on flood scenarios in Hong Kong. In contrast to the traditional subsystem-focused approach, this framework underscores life-sustaining services—such as healthcare, mobility, food supply, shelter, and education—as the cornerstone of urban resilience. The results demonstrate how service-based indicators provide practical, evidence-based insights that facilitate resilience planning and policymaking. This framework helps to clarify theoretical ambiguities, align resilience-building initiatives with public needs, and offers scalable strategies that strike a balance between short-term demands and long-term resilience and sustainability objectives. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd.