Numerous governments worldwide, including the Irish State, are urging citizens to stockpile multiple days’ worth of food, water and supplies at the same time.
Officials in the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and the United States have issued advice in recent weeks recommending households or militaries prepare emergency kits or reserves of food and water sufficient for a crisis.
In the United Kingdom the Cabinet Office published updated household guidance on the 22nd of October recommending households keep a modest cache of long-lasting provisions and drinking water to last 72 hours.
A BBC report last week quoted UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham advising people to stock up on tinned food and bottled water.
He noted the increasing frequency of unforeseen disruptions and added: “It’s not about panicking… It’s about just taking sensible measures to have enough in the house to tide you over should there be a difficult situation.”
UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis said those who can should follow the advice so that simple steps can reduce pressure on emergency services.
A Normandy prefecture post in France on the 27th of October reminded residents to prepare a 72-hour kit stocked with essentials such as hydration, shelf-stable meals, illumination, a battery-operated radio, emergency medical supplies, prescriptions, physical currency, vital paperwork, communication equipment, and thermal protection.
This matches existing national guidance that households should manage independently for the first 72 hours of a disruption.
Japan is preparing an urgent request linked to the launch of its new Disaster Prevention Agency on the 2nd of November.
On the 28th of October officials confirmed that citizens would be called on to gather domestic reserves of nourishment, hydration, and emergency sanitation facilities, aiming for a supply lasting between 72 hours and seven days, ensuring that official support could focus on the elderly and people with disabilities.
Luxembourg launched a guide to 72 hours of self-sufficiency on the 9th of October, with distribution of around 300,000 copies beginning on the 14th of October.
Prime Minister Luc Frieden said: “Resilience cannot be imposed; it must be built. The state must be prepared, and every citizen also has a role to play. Our aim is to provide citizens with practical tools to act independently and calmly in the first few hours of a crisis.”
Belgium’s National Crisis Center issued a practical brochure on the 1st of October advising people to prepare an emergency kit.
Minister of Security and the Interior Bernard Quintin said: “Crises and threats are becoming increasingly frequent, both in Belgium and abroad.”
He also said: “For some people, this creates concern. Others believe that it only happens to someone else. We must strike the right balance: never give in to panic, but never be naïve either.”
He added that readiness at the individual level directly translates to broader public safety.
In the Netherlands a new period of the ongoing Denk Vooruit campaign began on the 12th of October. Officials reported that the proportion of the population possessing a crisis kit has reached 44 percent, up from 30 percent a year earlier. The focus, the State says, is on surviving the first 72 hours in the event of a major disruption to power, utility networks, and digital connectivity.
Norway opened its annual Self-Preparedness Week on the 26th of October. Authorities recommend preparation for one week, marking an increase from the 72-hour target set two years prior.
Justice and Emergency Minister Astri Aas-Hansen emphasized that the public must ready themselves for extended communication blackouts affecting cell service and web access.
She said: “Something is better than nothing. Start with water and heat. Have about 20 litres of drinking water per person and a plan to keep warm if the power is gone.”
In the United States the Pentagon is advancing an initiative so major military bases can operate for at least 90 days without civilian infrastructure.
Details were reported on the 25th of October. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said it is an intolerable risk to rely on standard civilian municipal infrastructure for national defence.
He said: “Power is combat now. Without electricity, you lose communications, water, logistics, assembly lines and just basic military command structures.”
The plans include microgrids, portable nuclear reactors and strategic reserves.
Ireland launched its Be Emergency Ready campaign on the 28th of August, aimed at helping households to stockpile relevant supplies and prepare for disasters, ranging from natural weather events to technological risks such as a cyber attack.
The campaign included nationwide distribution of booklets to millions of households from late September.
Officials across the countries have cited similar reasons for the advice. These include severe weather that can affect power, water and communications, the risk of cyber attacks on supply chains or systems, and the need for households to manage basic needs for the first 72 hours or a week so that emergency services can prioritise the most vulnerable.
Several European campaigns have noted that their guidance aligns with advice already in place in neighbouring countries and with broader EU preparedness efforts.