As Australia identifies national resilience and civil preparedness as key to national defence, it should learn from Norway, which has been living those concepts for decades.
For Norway, preparedness extends well beyond its armed forces. Civilian and military planning is connected. Municipalities and critical sectors prepare for crises, while households are advised to be able to manage for a week if essential services such as electricity, water, telecommunications or payment systems are disrupted.
Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy places greater emphasis on national resilience, civil preparedness and a whole-of-nation approach. A parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s preparedness, launched in July, reinforces this. The opportunity is to better align government, industry, institutions and the public within a coherent national framework.
Australia’s geography, history and circumstances differ from Norway’s, but it can study the Norwegian experience and learn from it.
Fonte: Australia should look to Norway for ways to build national resilience | The Strategist
