Baltic states face challenges in societal crisis resilience

A survey by Norstat across the Baltic states, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Poland reveals significant gaps in societal resilience and crisis preparedness. Most residents in these countries, with the exception of Lithuania, have never participated in civil protection or crisis management exercises.

In Latvia, residents reported the lowest levels of confidence regarding their ability to survive for three days without essential services such as water, electricity, communications, or internet. Conversely, residents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia expressed the highest levels of concern regarding the likelihood of a crisis disrupting daily life within the next two years.

Melis Kitsing, Rector of the Estonian Business School and co-founder of the Nordic Resilience Organization (CIREN), noted that transparency during crises is vital to minimize misunderstandings. Kitsing identified individual preparedness as a primary weakness, though he noted an increasing number of companies are developing formal crisis action plans.