Multidimensional Framework of Post-Disaster Resilience in South-Pearl Aquaculture in Guangdong, China: A Grounded Theory Study

Guangdong south-pearl aquaculture, a cornerstone of China’s marine industry under the Rural Revitalization Strategy, contributes over 70% of national output but faces escalating marine disasters that expose systemic barriers to resilience. This study develops a diagnostic multidimensional framework for post-disaster resilience using a Grounded Theory design. We conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with participants from five key enterprises and cooperatives in the core Leizhou production region. Interview transcripts were analyzed in NVivo through open, axial, and selective coding with constant comparison. Open coding generated 136 initial concepts, axial coding consolidated them into 25 categories, and selective coding integrated these into four core dimensions: technological adaptation gaps, institutional trust deficits, human-resource succession ruptures, and ecological path dependence. These dimensions constitute the core phenomenon, termed the four-dimensional synergistic dilemma. Building on this empirically grounded diagnosis, we propose a multidimensional collaborative recovery framework that links each dimension to actionable levers, including stress-tolerant breeding and ecological aquaculture models, targeted policy instruments and adaptive insurance, industry-education pipelines to preserve craftsmanship, and spatial planning with coordinated pollution control. The study provides a theoretically informed and empirically validated model for enhancing industrial resilience, offering actionable insights for the sustainable revitalization of coastal specialty industries.