Resilience is understood as the ability to cope with change. Maybe sudden change. Maybe a course of events that makes you, your team or your community completely vulnerable.
In the context of environmental hazards, sudden change hardly ever means anything good. One arguably solid difference between facing a crisis and facing a risk is the quality of their management.
When you manage a crisis, it means you are dealing with anything unexpected. It means you’re leading without having a clear idea of what to do, or of how and when things will end up. This has a negative effect on other people’s trust in you and a huge impact on whatever you professionally own: material goods, business relations, soundness.
When you manage a risk, you’re in charge. It means you’ve worked long ahead to control it and, whatever the outcome will be, you know exactly what to do, when to do it and how to make your coworkers and peers safe.
The only way not to get caught in a crisis is strictly linked with not underestimating risks and choosing to take action when those risks are least expected.
Resilience is a process, not a product. Understanding on what level of the process you’re on is crucial now for the times to come.
If you think of your territory, of your institution, of your activities, and of your people today, think also of how resilient you can be already.
Think it out loud: can you cope with climate change?
