The COVID-19 crisis heightened governments' awareness of the need to strengthen preparedness for known critical risks and investing in the resilience of their economies and societies. Going forward, reforms are needed to ensure continuity of government, public services, critical infrastructure and supply of essential goods. This will require authorities to act in ways that adapt to unforeseen situations in order to ensure public safety and security of citizens. Whether addressing preparing for future pandemics or climate-related disasters, governments are also upgrading their risk management structures, monitoring capacities, and emergency preparedness plans.
Risk governance
Governments have responsibility for managing a range of complex crises. Such crises may arise due to pandemic, climate risks and other natural hazards, cyber or terrorist attacks. The COVID-19 crisis illustrates the transboundary nature of such critical risks and the necessity of coordinating various parts of government the private and voluntary sectors for an effective response. The OECD fosters mutual learning amongst governments to collect data and notable practices on strategic crisis management and increasing national resilience in the face of an uncertain future.
Key messages
Governments need to leverage technological advances, including AI, to gather and analyse new sources of data and improve horizon scanning and risk assessment systems. Governments also need to fortify organisational processes to ensure these improved analyses support preparedness and response decisions in time to meet emerging needs.
Governments are also fortifying cross government collaborative networks, procurement processes, and public-private partnerships for production and delivery of essential goods. Security of supply has become a priority requiring a whole of society effort.
Assessing the criticality of infrastructure helps prioritize actions to preserve societal and economic security and stability. A comparative table that maps out sectors deemed critical infrastructure allows to survey general trends and sectors that are more country-specific.
Context
What are the critical infrastructure sectors?
Defining critical infrastructure is to target sectors that are most crucial to societal and economic security and stability. Along with the definitions, lists of sectors also vary across countries. A comparative table that maps out sectors deemed critical infrastructure allows to survey general trends and sectors that are more country-specific.
Related policy issues
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Sustainable and resilient infrastructure is designed and built to withstand and recover from disasters and disruptions, such as extreme weather events or socioeconomic challenges. It is built to contribute to long-term sustainability goals while incorporating measures to enhance resilience to shocks and stresses. As infrastructure assets are being planned and developed, maintained and upgraded, it is critical that these objectives are taken into account. Ensuring financing is available and costs towards these considerations are made, will ensure that infrastructure assets are being adapted to the economic and social environment in which they operate.Learn more