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Abstract Background On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, triggering a conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. This ongoing war, now six months old, has also seen threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as from Yemen and Iran. The precarious security situation along Israel’s southern and northern borders led to extensive evacuations, with residents relocating within Israel under uncertain conditions concerning their return and property safety. This study compares resilience (societal, SR; community, CR; and individual, IR), hope, morale, distress symptoms (anxiety and depression symptoms), and perceived danger between general Hebrew-speaking adults and evacuee adults a few months post-conflict initiation. Methods Data was collected using structured self-reported questionnaires focusing on resilience and coping strategies, administered through two online panel companies. The general population data was collected from January 14–21, 2024 (N = 1,360), and the evacuees’ data from March 1–9, 2024 (N = 372; 133 from the north, 239 from the south). Results Evacuees reported lower SR and CR, hope, and morale, and higher distress symptoms and perceived danger compared to the general population. No differences in IR were found. Regression analyses identified different primary predictors of SR for each group: hope for the general population and governmental support for evacuees. Additionally, IR significantly predicted outcomes only among evacuees, whereas age, religiosity, and education were significant predictors solely in the general population. One notable similarity emerged: CR served as the second most influential predictor in both samples. Conclusions The entire population of Israel is affected by the ongoing war, yet evacuees endure a disproportionately severe impact, with potential for increased harm as the conflict persists. The adjustment to a new wartime emergency routine is more complex for evacuees than for the general population. It is crucial for policy and decision-makers to address the distinct differences between evacuees and the general populace to effectively meet their specific needs. Yet, it should be acknowledged that the evacuees represent a heterogenic group, necessitating a detailed subdivision into subgroups to accurately assess and address their unique challenges.

Resilience refers to the multidimensional, essential capacity of the subject or collectivity to survive and thrive in the face of various challenges. The paradigm of resilience encompasses the idea, mechanism or approach of returning the affected state of the subject, large social group, society and the state to the initial level, with surprising level increases that may be present in the future. The security of the nation or belonging to alliances cannot be conferred only by the military dimension. Aspects of political stability and predictability, economic well-being and equilibrium, social cohesion, financial stability, the provision of diverse resources, as well as the robustness of infrastructure must be considered. The causes of a fall in standards must be identified together with the moments and possibilities for recovery and the acceptance of recovery policies as well as strategies. The establishment of the Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience in Bucharest came to support the two security organizations, NATO and the European Union, member and partner states, to anticipate, monitor, prepare and respond effectively to the diversity of crises and threats of today's world. The Center has a major role for NATO and the European Union's crisis resolution capabilities, intervening by promoting resilience, innovation and cooperation. The Center considers multidisciplinary modalities, with an emphasis on building collaboration, sharing knowledge and best practices - which are essential in preparing for and responding adequately to threats and crises.

Background: On October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, triggering a conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. This ongoing war, now six months old, has also seen threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as from Yemen and Iran. The precarious security situation along Israel's southern and northern borders led to extensive evacuations, with residents relocating within Israel under uncertain conditions concerning their return and property safety. This study compares resilience (societal, SR; community, CR; and individual, IR), hope, morale, distress symptoms (anxiety and depression symptoms), and perceived danger between general Hebrew-speaking adults and evacuee adults a few months post-conflict initiation. Methods: Data was collected using structured self-reported questionnaires focusing on resilience and coping strategies, administered through two online panel companies. The general population data was collected from January 14–21, 2024 (N = 1,360), and the evacuees' data from March 1–9, 2024 (N = 372; 133 from the north, 239 from the south). Results: Evacuees reported lower SR and CR, hope, and morale, and higher distress symptoms and perceived danger compared to the general population. No differences in IR were found. Regression analyses identified different primary predictors of SR for each group: hope for the general population and governmental support for evacuees. Additionally, IR significantly predicted outcomes only among evacuees, whereas age, religiosity, and education were significant predictors solely in the general population. One notable similarity emerged: CR served as the second most influential predictor in both samples. Conclusions: The entire population of Israel is affected by the ongoing war, yet evacuees endure a disproportionately severe impact, with potential for increased harm as the conflict persists. The adjustment to a new wartime emergency routine is more complex for evacuees than for the general population. It is crucial for policy and decision-makers to address the distinct differences between evacuees and the general populace to effectively meet their specific needs. Yet, it should be acknowledged that the evacuees represent a heterogenic group, necessitating a detailed subdivision into subgroups to accurately assess and address their unique challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the resilience of Israeli society during the ongoing Israel‐Gaza conflict and pinpoints factors that influence this resilience in prolonged national crises. A longitudinal study was carried out with two surveys, both using the same questionnaire to gage societal, community, and individual resilience levels, along with hope, morale, distress, perceived threats, and government support. The initial survey was administered 5 days after the war escalated and the second 1 month later. The study's results reveal a decline in societal resilience over time. The regression analysis identified four major associations at both resilience measurement points. The key variables are community resilience and hope, both contributing positively. Attitudes towards government support (specifically being a government supporter vs. an opponent) also played a role. Additionally, there was a negative association with levels of religiosity, particularly distinguishing between ultra‐orthodox and secular individuals. In the temporal analysis predicting future resilience (from data at the first time point to predict resilience at the second time point), societal resilience at the first measurement was the strongest forecaster of its resilience at the second measurement. Additionally, the main continuous variable from the previous analysis, community resilience, continued to be an influential and positive forecaster in the time‐based analysis. The research suggests that the initial unifying effect of the conflict, similar to a "Rally around the flag" phenomenon, may be short‐lived. The study underlines the importance of community strength, hope, government support, and religious considerations in shaping societal resilience in the face of conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated psychological toll of the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine in a sample of adult Poles (N = 1245). Data were collected online in early February and August 2022. Prospective analyses that accounted for psychological health status assessed before the Russian invasion showed that higher levels of sense of danger due to the war predicted higher levels of psychological distress and lower levels of affect balance close to 6 months after Russia attacked Ukraine. Sense of country's mastery (i.e. beliefs that government, its major institutions, and citizens would effectively cope with various emergencies and crises) served as a protective factor. Likewise, Poles who had confidence in their personal mastery (e.g., beliefs in ability to exercise control over life challenges) exhibited less distress and more subjective well‐being. These findings emerged after controlling for sociodemographic factors, the presence of stressful experiences associated with the COVID‐19 pandemic, and other life events. Wars dramatically reverberate beyond the borders of the countries involved. People's own sense of mastery and their trust in the resilience of their governmental and public institutions are critical in times of coping with existential security threats and wars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to the issue of societal resilience in wartime. Given the fact that the potential of a society's resilience is fully revealed under conditions of shocks and crises, studying the experience of the Ukrainian society during the Russian-Ukrainian war provides valuable information for testing theoretical assumptions, developing knowledge and practices in the field of societal resilience. We have analysed the resilience of the Ukrainian society through the prism of the resilience of complex social system`s elements and connections between them in order to maintain the system`s functionality under destructive influences of war. We argue that there is a cumulative effect of the interaction of human, cultural, organizational, political, economic and other components of societal resilience, which enhances the adaptability and transformability of society. The article contributes to a better understanding of the civil society's role in crisis management and intersectoral linkages in ensuring society`s resilience.

This paper examines strategic communication's important role in countering hybrid threats through early detection, real-time response, and collaboration among government, civil society, and technology sectors. Hybrid threats, such as foreign information interference, disinformation, cyberattacks, and political influence campaigns, present challenges to national security, particularly in the digital age. By fostering societal resilience and enhancing public trust in institutions, strategic communication frameworks are essential to safeguarding national interests. This paper explores how strategic communication frameworks can detect, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of hybrid threats, rapid and coordinated responses. Strategic communication can prevent the spread of disinformation, help build national resilience. By creating collaborative networks and using digital technologies, strategic communication protects national security and underscores their role in safeguarding national resilience. It aligns messaging across agencies, reinforcing government credibility during crises and fostering societal resilience through transparent, accurate information. By engaging with diverse audiences, StratCom adapts messages to influence positive public behaviors and build social cohesion. Additionally, it supports national interests by unifying government and societal efforts under clear objectives, while protecting information channels to secure communication. This proactive, coordinated approach strengthens democratic values and national security against hybrid threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to the issue of societal resilience in wartime. Given the fact that the potential of a society's resilience is fully revealed under conditions of shocks and crises, studying the experience of the Ukrainian society during the Russian-Ukrainian war provides valuable information for testing theoretical assumptions, developing knowledge and practices in the field of societal resilience. We have analysed the resilience of the Ukrainian society through the prism of the resilience of complex social system's elements and connections between them in order to maintain the system's functionality under destructive influences of war. We argue that there is a cumulative effect of the interaction of human, cultural, organizational, political, economic and other components of societal resilience, which enhances the adaptability and transformability of society. The article contributes to a better understanding of the civil society's role in crisis management and intersectoral linkages in ensuring society's resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of societal resilience - the central concept of the National Defence Strategy - is, to a certain degree, not only semantically, but especially pragmatically ambiguous, as the concept has not been operationalised in the literature, on the one hand, and the state societal resilience, implementable through formal, non-formal and informal education, has not benefitted from adequate levers for application, on the other hand. The recent educational reform, achieved through the two laws, on pre-university education and on higher education, adopted in 2023, does not directly contribute to societal resilience. Under these circumstances, of an inadequately designed security education and of a pragmatic ambiguity of the strategy, which means that the communication intentions (obligation, recommendation, suggestion) are not clarified, it is necessary to exceed the classical normative framework that regulates the national educational system and to design the educationresilience binomial as critical national infrastructure. Resilience, coming from the field of safety culture studies, can be considered intangible critical infrastructure, which needs a tangible system defined or possibly defined in the Romanian legislation regarding critical infrastructure, so that it can trigger the mechanism for implementing the projection of the National Defence Strategy. The present article contributes to the identification of possible projective directions of the education-resilience binomial as critical infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing urgency for improved public and commercial services to support a resilient, secure, and thriving United States (US) in the face of mounting decision‐support needs for environmental stewardship and hazard response, as well as for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Sustained space‐based Earth observations are critical infrastructure to support the delivery of science and decision‐support information with local, national, and global utility. This is reflected in part through the United States' sustained support of a suite of weather and land‐imaging satellites. However, outside of these two areas, the US lacks an overarching, systematic plan or framework to identify, prioritize, fund, and implement sustained space‐based Earth observations to meet the Nation's full range of needs for science, government policy, and societal support. To aid and accelerate the discussion on our nation's needs, challenges and opportunities associated with sustained critical space‐based Earth observations, the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored a multi‐week think‐tank study to offer ways forward. Based on this study, the KISS study team suggests the establishment of a robust coordination framework to help address US needs for sustained Earth observations. This coordination framework could account for: (a) approaches to identify and prioritize satellite observations needed to meet US needs for science and services, (b) the rapidly evolving landscape of space‐based Earth viewing architecture options and technology improvements with increasing opportunities and lower cost access to space, and (c) the technical and programmatic underpinnings required for proper and comprehensive data stewardship to support a wide range of research and public services. Plain Language Summary: The Keck Institute of Space Studies has carried out a think tank study to codify best practices, articulate successes, and identify challenges and opportunities in the prioritization, acquisition, curation, and stewardship of sustained space‐based Earth observations. The goal of the study is to accelerate discussion and plans for a greater and more impactful US contribution to the global satellite observing system that will support decision‐making regarding climate change, environmental hazards, and national security. Based on this study, the KISS study team suggests the establishment of a nimble and responsive coordination framework to help guide and shepherd US concerns regarding sustained Earth observations. This coordination framework should account for: (a) approaches to identify and prioritize satellite observations needed to meet US needs for science and services, (b) the rapidly evolving landscape of space‐based Earth viewing architecture options and technology improvements with increasing opportunities and lower cost access to space and (c) the technical and programmatic underpinnings required for proper and comprehensive data stewardship with a broad science and services user base in mind. Key Points: There is growing urgency for improved public and commercial services to support a resilient, secure, and thriving USSpace‐based Earth observations represent an essential component of the infrastructure needed to support the delivery of needed informationThe US would benefit from an overarching plan for sustained Earth observations to support our science, policy, and resilience goals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented research examines the repurposing of decommissioned phonebooth units to COVID-19 sampling stations as a meaningful attempt to promote environmentally sustainable and socially resilient cities by contributing to a circular economy transition. The repurposing approach is compared to an adequate new build design using a life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental implications and a time-cost comparison for their implementation. The results indicate that the remodelling of the phone booth improves environmental performance. The expanded need for refurbishment is offset by the need to use virgin material for the new stations. The benefit of finding reuse for the phone booths and extending their lifetime further supports this understanding, demonstrating the adaptive approach as a viable strategy for utilising an otherwise disused urban infrastructure with uncertain end-of-life. Cost-time results show that repurposing is less expensive due to the donated phone booths and low production numbers. On the other hand, new sampling stations take less time to produce. Future studies investigate user experiences and social benefits of the realised sampling station based on phone booth repurposing.

Abstract There is growing urgency for improved public and commercial services to support a resilient, secure, and thriving United States (US) in the face of mounting decision‐support needs for environmental stewardship and hazard response, as well as for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Sustained space‐based Earth observations are critical infrastructure to support the delivery of science and decision‐support information with local, national, and global utility. This is reflected in part through the United States' sustained support of a suite of weather and land‐imaging satellites. However, outside of these two areas, the US lacks an overarching, systematic plan or framework to identify, prioritize, fund, and implement sustained space‐based Earth observations to meet the Nation's full range of needs for science, government policy, and societal support. To aid and accelerate the discussion on our nation's needs, challenges and opportunities associated with sustained critical space‐based Earth observations, the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) sponsored a multi‐week think‐tank study to offer ways forward. Based on this study, the KISS study team suggests the establishment of a robust coordination framework to help address US needs for sustained Earth observations. This coordination framework could account for: (a) approaches to identify and prioritize satellite observations needed to meet US needs for science and services, (b) the rapidly evolving landscape of space‐based Earth viewing architecture options and technology improvements with increasing opportunities and lower cost access to space, and (c) the technical and programmatic underpinnings required for proper and comprehensive data stewardship to support a wide range of research and public services.

The article focuses on the problem of digitalization under military shocks in Ukraine. The research key aim is to substantiate the digitalization of the social sector of Ukraine as a strong determinant of its societal resilience in the full-scale war conditions. One of the main objectives is to determine the impact of digital technologies on the stability of the social security population under martial law. The study applies a comprehensive methodology based on a combination of logical-historical, analytical, institutional, graphical, and sociological approaches. It is all-important that in 2020 Ukraine adopted the Strategy for Digital Transformation of the Social Sphere, and within its framework carried out digitalization. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, the Unified State Web Portal of Electronic Services "Diia" provided the opportunity to: receive pension and social payments on bank cards; new registration or recalculation of such payments; the restoration of documents on work experience (E-work book) or disability; etc. Digital technologies such as access to ID cards, digital signatures, etc. also helped economically active Ukrainians during the war. It is concluded that digitalization has become a strong factor for stability of the national social protection system, as well as the Ukraine’s socio-economic and societal resilience in in the most difficult times of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are playing an increasingly central role in crisis management. Despite concerted efforts by information systems (IS) scholars to explore the capabilities of digital technologies to foster resilience against crises, very few have investigated the dynamics of building digital resilience in turbulent times. This study, drawing upon the resource orchestration view (ROV) and through an empirical investigation of Taiwan's COVID‐19 pandemic management, unpacked the black box process of governments leading heterogeneous societal entities to promote resource orchestration actions for the development of digital resilience. The research findings revealed four patterns of digital resource orchestrations—dual‐purposing existing IS, balancing data exploitation, enacting online co‐production, and augmenting social network effects—that led to rapid and effective pandemic crisis management in Taiwan. We incorporated our findings into a research model of digital resilience in the making, thereby providing a mechanism for building digital resilience at a societal level. The research outcomes foreground temporal and societal aspects of digital resilience that contribute to the literature by adding new insights to the currently limited research on the operational process of building digital resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media and crowdsourcing (SMCS) are increasingly proving useful for addressing the effects of natural and human-made hazards. SMCS allow different stakeholders to share crucial information during disaster management processes and to strengthen community resilience through engagement and collaboration. To harvest these opportunities there is a need for better knowledge on SMCS for diverse disaster scenarios. These challenges are being addressed within the LINKS Horizon 2020 project. The project aims at strengthening societal resilience by producing advanced learning on the use of SMCS in disasters. This is done through an in-depth study across three knowledge domains (disaster risk perception and vulnerability, disaster management processes, SMCS technologies), the establishment of an interactive framework, and an online platform in which a community of relevant stakeholders can learn and share knowledge and experiences. This paper provides an overview of the project objectives and approaches and a summary of the initial results.

In this paper we support the idea that politics as a system can generate important structural shocks and changes. Politics has long been associated, or even identified with violence. We must highlight the idea that political violence is not a new problem, only that it has been widely reflected by scientists since the 20th century and is mainly due to the events that marked the last century – wars, revolutions, massacres and world terrorism, which have constantly attacked human security. The political violence Europe faces today is to a certain degree surprising for the 21st century, at least for the countries that have gone through World War II, as well as suffered from repressive political regimes or many terrorist aggressions. However, this has not prevented armed conflicts and the topic of violent political objectives. Nevertheless, despite the hardships of political violence, research suggests remarkable strength and resilience within individuals and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study investigates the role of perceived partial social belonging (PPSB) in determining societal and individual resilience and positive and negative coping indicators. It is assumed that most people aspire to belong and be integrated into their society. A sense of only partial belonging is therefore distressing for them. Methods: Two hypotheses are examined in the current study: (a) A higher level of PPSB will predict a lower level of resilience and a higher level of psychological symptoms. (b) PPSB will mediate the associations between three stress-evoking demographic characteristics (younger age, low income, and gender) and the lower psychological resilience and higher distress associated with these demographic characteristics. These hypotheses were examined using a sample of the Israeli Jewish public (N = 1,502) who responded to an anonymous questionnaire about the investigated issues. The data were collected by an internet panel company possessing a database of more than 65,000 residents, representing the varied components of the Israeli society. Results: The findings supported our hypotheses: (a) PPSB negatively predicted societal and individual resilience and hope and positively predicted distress symptoms and sense of danger. (b) PPSB mediated the effects of the investigated demographic variables on these psychological variables. Conclusion: These results are discussed in association with the concept of belonging competencies. Our findings display that being unsure about one’s belonging to a desired social group, has a major role in increasing psychological distress and sense of danger and in reducing hope and both individual and societal resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented research examines the repurposing of decommissioned phonebooth units to COVID-19 sampling stations as a meaningful attempt to promote environmentally sustainable and socially resilient cities by contributing to a circular economy transition. The repurposing approach is compared to an adequate new build design using a life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental implications and a time-cost comparison for their implementation. The results indicate that the remodelling of the phone booth improves environmental performance. The expanded need for refurbishment is offset by the need to use virgin material for the new stations. The benefit of finding reuse for the phone booths and extending their lifetime further supports this understanding, demonstrating the adaptive approach as a viable strategy for utilising an otherwise disused urban infrastructure with uncertain end-of-life. Cost-time results show that repurposing is less expensive due to the donated phone booths and low production numbers. On the other hand, new sampling stations take less time to produce. Future studies investigate user experiences and social benefits of the realised sampling station based on phone booth repurposing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe present study investigates the role of perceived partial social belonging (PPSB) in determining societal and individual resilience and positive and negative coping indicators. It is assumed that most people aspire to belong and be integrated into their society. A sense of only partial belonging is therefore distressing for them.MethodsTwo hypotheses are examined in the current study: (a) A higher level of PPSB will predict a lower level of resilience and a higher level of psychological symptoms. (b) PPSB will mediate the associations between three stress-evoking demographic characteristics (younger age, low income, and gender) and the lower psychological resilience and higher distress associated with these demographic characteristics. These hypotheses were examined using a sample of the Israeli Jewish public (N = 1,502) who responded to an anonymous questionnaire about the investigated issues. The data were collected by an internet panel company possessing a database of more than 65,000 residents, representing the varied components of the Israeli society.ResultsThe findings supported our hypotheses: (a) PPSB negatively predicted societal and individual resilience and hope and positively predicted distress symptoms and sense of danger. (b) PPSB mediated the effects of the investigated demographic variables on these psychological variables.ConclusionThese results are discussed in association with the concept of belonging competencies. Our findings display that being unsure about one’s belonging to a desired social group, has a major role in increasing psychological distress and sense of danger and in reducing hope and both individual and societal resilience.

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The societal resilience of the Gaza envelope communities in the face of the challenges of terrorism from the Gaza Strip over the past 20 years has been analyzed at length in previous studies. This article examines the activity of the resilience centers in the region, and focuses on the insights that can be gleaned from the experience of the Eshkol Regional Council in the face of terrorist threats from Gaza. The principal contention is that the Eshkol Regional Council and the other resilience centers in the area showed their capacity to grapple successfully with man-made disruptions, and in turn, have provided a model for the rest of Israel of how to cope with terrorist threats. As such, the article recommends adopting the model of these resilience centers throughout Israel, with differential and particularized implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the present stage of geopolitical confrontation, the resilience of the political system of the EU is based on the position that the formation of a single social and institutional space allows EU member states to compete more successfully within the global economic system. In the practice of supranational regulation of economic integration, a set of methodological approaches has developed today, where the central place is occupied by the principles of removing barriers to trade within the integration bloc and to the implementation of agreed economic specialization. The most important competitive advantage of regional economic integration is the growth of the global competitiveness of the most efficient enterprises and sectors of the economy of the EU member states due to the spatial expansion of sales markets and the growth of trade. This book summarizes that the only way to integrate in the current conditions remains integration at different speeds, with an individual approach to each new participating country. The end result of the concept of Europe at different speeds is the accession of all participating countries to the leading group, since all members of the integration group pursue common goals and wish to achieve them by common efforts. The sooner all participating countries find themselves in the same plane of economic and political coordinates, the sooner the set goals will be achieved and key tasks will be solved.

• The new geopolitical situation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the role of the Norwegian petroleum industry and many other private businesses. • Hybrid threats entail a new category of risk problems where private companies play a pivotal role as national security actors. • This article offers an empirical study of how private companies in the Norwegian petroleum sector understand and carry out their role in detecting and handling hybrid threats. • The empirical case illustrates that security cannot be achieved on the organizational level to achieve societal resilience against hybrid threats. • Safety Science should further investigate how the new geopolitical era affects private businesses and their employees' working conditions. The new geopolitical situation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the role of the Norwegian petroleum industry and many other private businesses. Private companies have become important security actors in the new threat landscape. This article offers an empirical study of how private operator companies in the Norwegian oil and gas sector understand and carry out their role in detecting and handling hybrid threats prior to the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in 2022. By investigating how they understand the phenomena of hybrid threats, and how they understand their role and responsibility in detecting and handling them, this case serves as an example on why societal resilience to hybrid threats only can be achieved through a collaboration between a multiplicity of actors across different scales. Additionally, this article uses the private companies in the Norwegian petroleum sector as an illustrative example on how hybrid threats entail a new category of risk problems where private companies play a pivotal role, and seeks to open up a discussion on whether safety science should include hybrid threats and the new geopolitical situation into its scope. We conclude that safety science should further develop perspectives for developing resilience as a system and societal property and that also take geopolitics into account. At a time when private companies play a more pivotal role in the co-creation of societal resilience against hybrid threats, it is important to investigate and understand this role and how it affects private businesses and their employees' working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience has become important in disaster preparedness and response. Unfortunately, little is known about resilience at the household level. This study presents the results of a survey into individual and household level preparedness to disaster events in Yangon, Myanmar, which is prone to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, flooding, and earthquakes. The study aimed to understand societal resilience and to provide information that could be used to develop a holistic framework. In four different Yangon townships, 440 households were interviewed. The results of the survey indicate how risk preparedness could be improved by specific measures related to the following five factors: (1) increasing the general public's knowledge of first aid and its role in preparedness; (2) improving mobile phone infrastructure and capacity building in its usage so that it can be used for communication during disasters, along with building up a redundant communication structure; (3) better use and organisation of volunteer potential; (4) more specific involvement of religious and public buildings for disaster response; and (5) developing specific measures for improving preparedness in urban areas, where the population often has reduced capacities for coping with food supply insufficiencies due to the high and immediate availability of food, shops and goods in regular times. The findings of this survey have led to specific recommendations for Yangon. The identified measures represent a first step in developing a more general framework. Future research could investigate the transferability of these measures to other areas and thus their suitability as a basis for a framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial social integration refers to the perceived exclusion of individuals or groups, from full participation in their society. The current study claims that perceived partial social integration (PPSI) constitutes a substantial predictor of the rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine, a significant mediator of the impact of demographic variables (such as age and level of income) on this vaccine rejection, and an important predictor of indices of psychological distress during pandemic times. Previous publications show that although vaccines constitute a very efficient means for countering pandemics, vaccine hesitancy is a prevalent public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study is one of a few studies examining the impact of psychological variables on the actual behavior of vaccine rejection rather than on the cognitive element of vaccine hesitancy. A sample of 600 Israeli Jewish adults responded in February 2022 to an anonymous questionnaire exploring, among other issues, the (PPSI), the individual level of vaccine uptake, and the level of distress of these individuals. Path analyses of the variables predicted by PPSI indicated the following results: (a) PPSI score negatively predicted vaccine uptake level and significantly mediated the effects of age and family income on the level of vaccination. (b) PPSI levels significantly predicted higher levels of anxiety, depression, and a sense of danger and negatively predicted societal resilience. The discussion elaborates the contention that the PPSI is a substantial cause of psychological distress and in compliance with the pandemic vaccination guidelines, despite the potential health risk involved.

The March 2019 assault on two mosques during Friday prayers in Christchurch, New Zealand, shocked a nation unaccustomed to the terrorist violence suffered elsewhere in recent years. The immediate reaction from political leaders and wider society was to stand in close solidarity with the targeted Muslim community, and a broad recovery process soon emerged which provided substantial ongoing support to anyone impacted by the incident. The authors spent two weeks in New Zealand in mid-2019 with the aim of understanding the apparent societal resilience displayed following the attack, and the ways in which the response was coordinated across different levels of government and civil society. It became clear that effective working relationships among national/municipal authorities and community members/associations established well before the tragedy facilitated communications, cooperation, and the appropriate targeting of support. High levels of institutional trust and authentic leadership enabled an organic, personable recovery process, and represents a pertinent example of societal resilience following an act of terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the power redistribution in the international system, the United States prepares for long-term Great power competition. It is aiming at strengthening America's network of alliances and partnerships in order to counter a rising China and revisionist Russia. The other states react to greater or lesser extent to the changing constraints and opportunities in the international system. The article examines how Lithuania, being a small state that belongs to the North Atlantic Alliance, is adapting to these systemic pressures. Current NATO's deterrence posture in the Baltic region is something akin to deterrence by the assured response – NATO is sending a signal that if the Russians attacked, NATO would respond in the Baltics. Lithuania, as well as other Baltic countries, has undertaken many legal, procedural, financial and technical measures to boost resilience and deterrence. However, there are not enough national or NATO military forces that would be able to counter conventional Russian forces deployed in the region. There are challenges such as air defence and control of the Baltic Sea. Also land forces are not present in adequate quantities. As a result, Lithuania has to strengthen its own capabilities with the help of the allied countries. It argued in the article that building up a total defence system in Lithuania would be a right effort in this regard.

We analyse the Croatian crisis management system's response to COVID-19 pandemic in terms of Fath, Dean, and Katzmair's [1] model of resilience in social systems. We find that the Croatian crisis management system has successfully completed one cycle of the model. However, if the system is to achieve resilience, it also needs to replace the regime from before the crisis with a new regime that will simultaneously enable a life of relative normalcy and contain an excessive spread of the virus. Strengthening social cohesion and more bottom-up, emergent leadership might facilitate the search for a new regime. Small, local outbreaks represent small-scale disturbances that provide opportunities for the development of cohesion and bottom-up leadership from local, county, municipal and city-levels to the national level. The model used in this article better conveys the underlying complexity of crisis management systems than "the hammer and the dance" model, whereas the latter is better suited for public communication. Future work should extend this case study in terms of modelling approaches, the sample of countries, and the time covered. It can also be extended to lower, sub-national, as well as higher, supra-national levels, such as the EU.

Civilian populations that are more prepared for emergencies are more resilient. Ample research has been carried out over the last three decades to identify the factors that contribute to public readiness to emergencies and disasters and enhance societal resilience. However, the analysis did not achieve an in-depth comprehension of the types of contributing factors, namely, contextual vs. target aspects. A cross-sectional study that explored attitudinal factors among civilian populations took place during the months of January–February 2021. Diverse representative samples (N ≥ 500 each) of adults from eight countries (Italy, Romania, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Israel, and Japan) were engaged. The primary outcomes of this study were individual and societal resilience as well as emergency preparedness. The results suggest that in most countries, levels of trust are relatively high for emergency services and health services, and relatively low for politicians. In the overall sample, the individual preparedness index, which delineates the compliance with general household adjustment recommendation for emergencies, averaged at 4.44 ± 2.05SD (out of 8). Some variability was observed between countries, with some countries (e.g., Spain, Norway, and Italy) reporting higher preparedness rates than others (e.g., Japan). In the overall sample, levels of individual resilience were mediocre. Multivariate analysis showed that the following variables are predictors of societal resilience: trust (β = 0.59), social norms and communality (β = 0.20), individual resilience (β = 0.05), individual preparedness (β = 0.04), risk awareness (β = 0.04), and age (β = 0.03). The results of this study show that there are commonalities and differences between societies across Europe and beyond concerning societal resilience at large, including preparedness, individual resilience, and risk perception. Despite socio-cultural driven differences, this study shows that societies share varied characteristics that may contribute toward a common model for assessing societal resilience and for explaining and predicting resilience and readiness.

Facing global challenges like economic crises, political unrest, and public health issues, societies must be resilient. Societal Resilience is the collective capacity to endure and bounce back from such adversities. This study delves into its complexity and its ties to economic, social, healthcare, and political domains, offering insights for decision-makers and academics. A Societal Resilience questionnaire was distributed across eight nations (Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine) in late 2022 and early 2023, with the results compared to international data. Statistical methods revealed significant links between Societal Resilience and four global indicators: urban population and immigrant stock share (both positively correlated), and population growth (negative), as well as perceiving climate change as a major threat (negative). Excluding Ukraine, twelve significant connections emerged, including gender equality and corruption perception. The research underscores the importance of multifaceted, informed approaches to bolster Societal Resilience, providing a policy and practice framework to navigate a complex global landscape. Further studies should expand the country sample to examine more relationships, like those between financial factors and Societal Resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is projected to increase the number of extreme weather events, which may lead to cascading impacts, feedbacks, and tipping points not only in the biophysical system but also in the social system. To better understand societal resilience in risky environments, we analyzed people’s attachment to place, their willingness to take risks, and how these change in response to extreme weather events. We conducted a survey with 624 respondents at the forefront of climate change in Asia: the river deltas in Bangladesh and Vietnam. Our findings confirm that most people prefer staying. Yet crucially, we find that (i) self-reported experiences of climate-related hazards are associated with increased risk aversion and place attachment, reinforcing people’s preferences to stay in hazardous environments; (ii) people with experiences of hazards are more likely aspiring to move to high-income destinations, arguably being beyond the reach of their capacities; and (iii) changes in aspirations to move abroad are connected to the changes in risk aversion and place attachment. The fact that preferences are associated with cumulative experiences of hazards and interact with aspirations to move to high-income destinations may contribute to our understanding of why so many people stay in hazardous environments.

This article discusses critical infrastructure resilience in terms of how it could be incorporated into the existing safety and security practices, namely the ISO 31000 risk management standard. The article starts by outlining the resilience discourse, focusing on the organizational, technological, and societal domains of resilience. It goes on to present an approach to how the risk management standard can be extended to a critical infrastructure resilience management framework. Focusing in particular on the organizational and technological resilience domains, which are considered those that can most readily be controlled by critical infrastructure operators, the article presents one of the resilience assessment techniques in some detail to operationalize the overall management framework. In so doing, the article proposes a prestandardization input for critical infrastructure resilience management, tested in an operational environment. The article concludes with five maxims for this objective: no duplicate practices; tailorability; plurality of assessment techniques; measurability; and relative ease of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of societal resilience has rapidly spread throughout the policy world, driven by the desire to use systems theories and process understandings to develop new security approaches for coping, bouncing-back, and adaptive improvement in the face of shocks and disturbances. However, this article argues that under the auspices of the Anthropocene, the assumptions and goals of societal resilience become problematic. This is because external interventions often ignore feedback effects, meaning that attempts to resolve problems through focusing upon enabling and capacity-building can be seen as counterproductive "fire-fighting" rather than tackling causation. Even more "alternative" or "community-based" approaches, relying upon interventions to enable so-called "natural" processes, either through an emphasis on local and traditional knowledge or new monitoring technologies, constitute problems for resilience advocacy: firstly, the problem of unrecognized exploitation; and secondly, the problem of continuing to sacrifice others to maintain unsustainable Western modes of consumption and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social vulnerability assessments of disaster risks related to natural or man-made hazards have become state of the art, while not undisputed. One critique—that most assessments are static—is addressed here by analysing indicators over a 10-year period at a research area in Germany using county-level administrative units. The indicators (and an index) are displayed as maps using publicly available statistical data from a single government source to establish consistency. In addition, maps of changes in indicator values per 5 or 10 years are visualised. As a result, spatial regions within Germany that have received increases in, for instance, higher numbers of elderly citizens can be visualised. Maps visualise the increasing susceptibility to hazards such as floods, heatwaves, storms or technological accidents. At the same time, increases or decreases in capacities, such as hospital density or care homes, highlight regions that have adjusted or still have to adjust to demographic change demands. The main purpose of this paper is to test stability and heterogeneity of indicators over time and offer advice on a selection of indicators that are not only based on static and singular assessments but also take dynamics and related richness of additional temporal change information into account for longitudinal monitoring of disaster risk with a focus on vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The research aims to discuss the importance of introduction of ICTs in the concept of societal resilience building and analyze e-tools engaging the public in safety enhancement.Methodology – The authors of this paper analyzed scientific literature to identify the main elements of societal resilience building, to distinguish the areas in which social technologies could be applied for the purposes of enhancing resilience. Empirical study was focused on the search and content analysis of global, EU, Lithuanian national and local e-tools created to inform the public about imminent and/or actual disasters and emergencies, communicate data among civil protection authorities, and collect from and disseminate among society disaster related information.Findings – Contemporary disaster management is increasingly orienting on preventive activities based on inclusion of society. Evolving the concept of societal resilience focuses on enhancing abilities of communities or society to resist, absorb, accommodate and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner. Consequently, resilience moves from a passive technical concept, relevant to resistance of infrastructures, to a socially active process, supporting the phase of risk prevention. Therefore, it should be present in all phases, from risk prevention to emergency management.In the Internet enabled society, information and communication technologies (ICTs) could foster building of the capacity of resilience in urban and regional complex systems by informing, warning and directing people for correct actions in case of disasters. There is a number of e-tools designed for exchange of information at different levels (global, EU, national, local, organizational), serving for different tasks of pre-, during or/and post-disaster management. Those could be grouped by their purposes to the following ones: e-tools for warning of communities at risk, based on broadcasting; WebGIS-based crowdsourcing platforms to collect and update user generated content; Open-source ICT platforms Oriented on Public awareness on natural disasters; ICTs for civil protection planning, decision making for response, recovery and allocation of resources in case of disasters.The most oriented on public engagement are broadcasting and crowdsourcing based ICT tools. However, the empirical research revealed that use of such kind of social technologies by Lithuanians remains relatively vague in terms of public activity: crowdsourcing platforms are mostly uploaded with small-scale problems of everyday life character, and use of the broadcasting services among citizens is not popular enough yet, and some organizational and technological barriers worsen situation even more. This could point to an assumption that Lithuanian society does not percept disasters as real threats for their lives, health, property or environment.Research limitations – The current research is not sophisticated with the comparative analysis of experiences of foreign countries in application of broadcasting and crowdsourcing based technologies for increasing societal resilience. Such analysis could be useful for development of effective means for enhancing public awareness on disasters, consequently – for building safety culture in Lithuania by application of social technologies. Therefore, investigation of good praxis could be considered as a relevant topic for further research. Practical implications – The paper explores publically accessible ICT means that could serve for enhancing of information and education level of the public on disaster related content, and hence, for rising safety culture.Originality/Value – The research reveals societal resilience as an active process, supporting the phase of risk prevention, not only disaster response and recovery. The paper assumes the triple role of citizens in all disaster management process. By application of social technologies, society acts as a safety information source (by application of crowdsourcing based e-tools); as information transmitters (when ICTs include information sharing functions); and as information receivers (WebGIS and cell broadcast based ICTs). Therefore, the research implies disaster management authorities to pay more attention for social technologies as potential tools for increasing pro-activity of disaster management and building up societal resilience.Research type – viewpoint.

In recent years, there has been a gradual increase in research literature on the challenges of interconnected, compound, interacting, and cascading risks. These concepts are becoming ever more central to the resilience debate. They aggregate elements of climate change adaptation, critical infrastructure protection, and societal resilience in the face of complex, high‐impact events. However, despite the potential of these concepts to link together diverse disciplines, scholars and practitioners need to avoid treating them in a superficial or ambiguous manner. Overlapping uses and definitions could generate confusion and lead to the duplication of research effort. This article gives an overview of the state of the art regarding compound, interconnected, interacting, and cascading risks. It is intended to help build a coherent basis for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). The main objective is to propose a holistic framework that highlights the complementarities of the four kinds of complex risk in a manner that is designed to support the work of researchers and policymakers. This article suggests how compound, interconnected, interacting, and cascading risks could be used, with little or no redundancy, as inputs to new analyses and decisional tools designed to support the implementation of the SFDRR. The findings can be used to improve policy recommendations and support tools for emergency and crisis management, such as scenario building and impact trees, thus contributing to the achievement of a system‐wide approach to resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this commentary, I build on the Theory of Probabilistic Functionalism by perceptual psychologist Egon Brunswik (1903-55) and Scholz’s deepened analysis regarding the implications of this theory for sustainable transition processes by extending these thoughts toward (1) the mental process of simulation of innovation; (2) innovation as a crucial intervention for attaining societal resilience and, hence, an important driver within sustainable transition; and (3) joint representations and collaborative processes for the generation of innovation. By applying the Theory of Probabilistic Functionalism on innovation systems, innovation (as probabilistic entity) is viewed as the object; the agents who initiate or generate the innovation (i.e., entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, and eventually sustainability planning groups) and the stakeholders who are concerned by the innovation are viewed as the organisms; and the broader innovation system is viewed as the environment. This view aims to provide additional understanding of the complexity and planning of innovation and how it affects and, simultaneously, is affected by society and its environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the efforts of NATO to improve societal resilience in the fight against hybrid threats. It examines hybrid threats as a military strategy that blends conventional warfare, irregular warfare and cyber warfare. From another point of view, the article sees over establishing a safe and secure environment for protection of civilians, as well as how to improve resilience through civil preparedness and tailored NATO support to national authorities. NATO requires a concept to be developed that operationalizes the NATO Policy with emphasis on its implementation through the planning and conduct of operations, training, education and exercises, lessons learned, as well as defence related capacity building activities. The article tackles the question of using the Centres of Excellence as an education and training network in building resilience in society against threats, including hybrid threats and protection of civilians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial article summarises the achievements of the International conference titled “Interagency and International Cooperation in Countering Hybrid Threats." The articles in this volume cover a broad range of issues related to NATO, EU and national experiences in the research and practical activities in countering hybrid warfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the new National Security Strategy (NSS) of the Republic of Croatia, begun in November 2016, takes place in a radically different security environment compared to the first (and current) Croatian NSS published in 2002. This paper aims to provide incentives for potential adaptations to the approach and methodology used in Croatia's NSS development, particularly in relation to hybrid warfare. Assuming that the hybrid adversary tends heavily to exploit the vulnerabilities of the targeted state and society, the paper addresses some of Croatia's widely recognized weaknesses that should be taken into consideration in a threat assessment. As a conclusion, the paper proposes some recommendations, including the concept of societal resilience, related to ways to counter hybrid threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People affected by wars frequently present distress symptoms and varied fears but may also exhibit resolve and resilience. The study aimed to examine strengths and vulnerability factors that predict resilience during the war in Ukraine, among Ukrainian citizens who directly experience military aggression and Polish citizens, who are exposed to the influx of refugees. Using internet panels, samples of people from Ukraine and Poland (N = 1001 and N = 1078, respectively) completed a structured questionnaire, based on validated scales that measured individual, community, and societal resilience, sense of danger, distress symptoms, hope, morale, well-being, and demographic characteristics. Hope was identified as the best predictor, and well-being was the second-best predictor of community and societal resilience in both countries. While higher percentages of Ukrainian versus Polish respondents displayed high levels of sense of danger (61% vs 15%, respectively) and distress symptoms (27% vs 17%, respectively), they simultaneously presented much higher levels of the community (47% vs 22%, respectively) and societal (66% vs 24%, respectively) resilience. The results suggest that strengths factors are better indicators of resilience than vulnerability factors, in a situation of severe adversity. An existential threat to the independence and sovereignty of Ukrainian society may catalyze a high sense of societal resilience. • High levels of resilience and distress can exist simultaneously during adversity • Strengths indicate resilience better than vulnerability factors, in severe crises • Existential threats to society may serve as catalysts for societal resilience • Hope best predicts social resilience among both Ukrainian and Polish residents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]