Guidelines for war and crises: all you need to know?
The authorities in several northern European countries are preparing their populations for increasingly likely emergency scenarios such as war, environmental disasters and other threats. Swedish households have received brochures, Finland has a dedicated website providing key information, and Norway has also recently published guidance on preparing for such scenarios. The press focuses on what matters in emergency situations.
Don't count on normality
Being prepared for crisis situations of all kinds is becoming increasingly important, emphasises Etelä-Saimaa:
“Although the damaged subsea cable has a data transmission capacity equivalent to almost 1.5 million household connections, its disconnection is not affecting the internet usage of normal citizens in Finland. There are plenty of cables. Nevertheless, it is more important than ever before to be prepared for emergency situations that may have been caused deliberately or arise unintentionally, as the recent storms have shown. We can't expect the standard infrastructure to always work perfectly. Power outages, traffic disruptions and water shortages are situations that we should be prepared for.”
Highlight collective approaches
The brochure put out by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) places too little stress on the natural tendency to show solidarity in crises, ETC complains:
“People display an enormous willingness to help each other. ... A strong local community is at least as important - if not more important - than crank radios and water canisters. The MSB brochure outlines strategies for the community, for example in the introduction: 'To withstand threats, we must stick together and assume responsibility for our country'. And: 'We build resilience every day together with relatives, colleagues, friends and neighbours.' But the MSB could provide even deeper insights about the importance of the community based on how people actually behave.”