Governments are increasingly asking citizens to prepare for emergencies in which electricity, water, communications and other essential services could be disrupted for days. The renewed emphasis on household preparedness has come into focus in October and November, with the United Kingdom launching a national campaign and Japan establishing a new disaster management agency.
The developments reflect a wider reassessment of national resilience as governments prepare for a combination of climate-related emergencies, natural disasters, cyber threats and geopolitical tensions. The concern is that a major crisis may affect several essential services simultaneously, leaving households without normal access to supplies and assistance.
The United Kingdom launched its three-year Be Ready campaign on October 22, encouraging households to prepare for at least three days of disruption. The advice covers possible interruptions to electricity, water, telephone networks and internet services, and recommends keeping basic supplies such as drinking water, non-perishable food, medicines, torches, batteries and important documents.
The government cited severe storms during the previous winter and wildfires over the summer as examples of how extreme weather can disrupt everyday services. The campaign is also intended to reduce pressure on emergency services, allowing responders to prioritise people who need immediate assistance.
Japan followed with a major institutional development on November 2, launching its National Disaster Management Agency as a permanent body to coordinate preparedness, emergency response and reconstruction across government.
The agency, with more than 350 staff, was established amid concerns about the country’s exposure to major earthquakes and other disasters. Authorities have urged residents to secure furniture, review evacuation plans and stock essential supplies for at least three days, preferably one week.
The new agency is also expected to address shortcomings in disaster response and evacuation facilities. These include inadequate arrangements for older people and persons with disabilities, and the need for better-equipped shelters with portable toilets, hot meals, bathing facilities and beds.
The United States has taken a different approach in its latest high-profile preparedness initiative. On September 30, the Pentagon announced FORTRESS America, a programme intended to enable military installations to operate for up to 90 days without outside support.
The initiative focuses on energy independence, resilient supply chains, strategic reserves, cybersecurity and protection of military infrastructure. It is important to distinguish this from civilian preparedness: the 90-day target applies to military installations, not American households.
For the general public, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready.gov continues to advise people to maintain emergency supplies and prepare to manage for several days during a disaster.
The European Union had already called for a broader preparedness approach through its Preparedness Union Strategy, introduced in March 2025. It identifies risks ranging from armed conflict and geopolitical tensions to cyberattacks, disinformation, climate change and natural disasters. The strategy recommends guidance to help citizens remain self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours and calls for preparedness to be shared across governments, businesses, communities and households.
The three-day recommendation is also established in several other countries. Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Denmark advise households to prepare for at least 72 hours. Canada’s 2026 Emergency Preparedness Week, held in May, again encouraged households to assemble supplies to remain self-sufficient for at least three days. France’s official 72-hour emergency kit guidance was updated on September 30, 2026.
Other countries recommend longer periods. Sweden, Norway and Estonia advise households to prepare for at least one week, while Germany recommends supplies for up to 10 days. Norway raised its recommendation from three days to one week in 2024, citing the need to allow emergency services and local authorities to prioritise people who cannot manage without assistance.
The recommendations are not uniform. Some countries emphasise a minimum of 72 hours, while others encourage households to prepare for a week or longer. The common concern, however, is that emergency services may not be able to reach everyone immediately and that disruption to power, water, transport and supply chains can continue beyond the first day of a crisis.
Cybersecurity has added another dimension to the discussion. Unlike a storm or earthquake, a cyberattack may not cause visible physical damage, but it can disrupt digital systems on which public services, businesses and critical infrastructure depend. Governments are therefore increasingly considering cyber resilience alongside conventional disaster preparedness.
