The authors of the study stated that the collapse of civilization could occur due to a highly interconnected and energy-intensive society. It could be ignited by a serious financial crisis, the effects of climate change, the destruction of nature or an even worse pandemic than the covidu-19 pandemic.
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In order to assess which places on planet Earth would be most resistant to such a collapse, countries were ranked according to their ability to grow food for their populations, protect their borders from mass migration, preserve electricity generation and certain production opportunities.
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According to these factors, islands with a mild climate and low population density ended up at the top of the list. New Zealand and Australia were the best, followed by Ireland, and Iceland and the United Kingdom also reached the top five.
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“We were not surprised that New Zealand appeared on our list. We assessed that places must be able to protect their borders and be in a temperate climate. In retrospect, it is understandable that large islands with complex companies have appeared on the list, “said Professor Aled Jones, one of the study’s authors and director of the Global Sustainability Institute in Cambridge, England, to The Guardian.
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A globalized society is worsening resilience
The authors also mention that the study highlights the factors that nations should work on to increase their resilience. He argues that a globalized society focused on economic efficiency is worsening resilience and that there must be spare capacity in the food and other vital sectors.
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“It’s interesting how quickly we can close borders and how quickly governments can make decisions that change a lot of things,” Jones said of the recent events caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “But we need to build a gap in the system so that when it collapses, we have the ability to react and have reserve capacity,” he added.
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“In global planning, we need to start thinking much more about resilience. Of course, it would be ideal for the collapse not to occur at all, “Jones concluded.
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