Volume 21 Issue 1

Whenever a significant crisis erupts, many ask what comes next and what the new normal will look like. For resilience professionals, that question comes much earlier. New normals have to be considered long before the world demands them.

This edition explores how geopolitical tension is playing out in real terms. From the Middle East to shifting alliances and resource negotiations, these are no longer distant risks. They are already shaping supply chains, business continuity, and strategic decisions – often faster than formal processes can keep up.

On p24, Kelly Blakeley notes that no region's vulnerabilities exist in isolation, reinforcing the need to think beyond borders when it comes to continuity. Then on p36, Andy Blackwell pulls the lens wider, examining how the cost-of-living crisis is beginning to erode the very foundations that resilience depends on. Consider this: If people are forced to prioritise earning over volunteering, what happens to the civil protection systems that rely on them?

At the same time, critical issues do not disappear under the weight of global crises. For instance, the marginalisation of women’s voices in decision-making environments continues to punctuate resilience work. Amanda Coleman’s survey on the lived experiences of women in crisis management and resilience (p50) is essential reading. Most structural problems will only worsen in times of elevated crises, and they don’t resolve themselves once the crises do.

Lyndon Bird’s (p12) article also serves as a reminder that while the challenges we face may feel unprecedented in scale and overlap, they are not entirely new. The gap lies in how we respond.

Across these pages, there is a consistent thread — the need to focus on solutions, not in theory but in practice. Many of the tools already exist, but the question is whether they are being applied in ways that match the reality we operate in.

The challenge now is less about identifying risk, and more about closing the gap between what is understood and what is actually done. As always, the work continues.