In a well-functioning society like Sweden, it's easy to take things for granted. The electricity works when we flip the switch. The water flows from the tap. The food is on the store shelves. But what happens if something suddenly stops working – for a day, a week or even longer?
This is where crisis preparedness comes into play.
Water and food are something that should never run out . An important first step in your emergency preparedness is to review how long you can survive on what you have at home.
Society's responsibility – and yours
Society's crisis preparedness is about our collective ability to prevent, resist and manage serious events . These can be natural disasters, cyberattacks, pandemics or other disruptions that affect important societal functions. The purpose is clear: to protect life and health, preserve our democratic system of governance and ensure that basic services such as healthcare, transport and information dissemination function even under stress.
In Sweden, this work is coordinated, among others, by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) , in close collaboration with county administrative boards, municipalities, the Armed Forces and a number of other actors.
But emergency preparedness isn't just something "someone else" has to solve. It's also something that starts at home - with you.