Investigating the role of grassroots innovation in fostering territorial resilience and sustainable development in the conflict-affected Nablus Governorate of Palestine

Abstract Sustainable development in conflict-affected regions presents unique challenges, particularly when communities face prolonged political, economic, and infrastructural constraints. In the Palestinian territories, decades of Israeli occupation have created a highly specific context that limits access to essential resources, restricts movements, and undermines local institutional capacities. These conditions hinder economic growth, social development, and environmental protection, rendering conventional approaches to regional and local development largely ineffective. In response to these structural constraints, local actors have developed innovative bottom-up strategies to address resource scarcity and socio-political barriers. Focusing on the Nablus Governorate, this study provides a context-specific interpretation of sustainable development under occupation and linking grassroots innovation to resilience theory. The research adopts a qualitative analytical approach based on document analysis, technical reports, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Findings indicate that grassroots initiatives not only address immediate community needs but also strengthen social cohesion, reinforce local solidarity, empower marginalized groups, and enhance adaptive capacities in contexts where external pressures severely constrain development opportunities. However, the study also emphasizes the importance of critically assessing both the enabling and limiting factors affecting these initiatives, rather than assuming their inherent effectiveness. The results further suggest that resilience-oriented responses to structural constraints operate through hybrid systems that combine local agency with varying forms of external donor and institutional support.