Europe is Getting its Citizens Ready for Emergencies, as Governments Make Crisis Preparedness a National Priority

From household emergency booklets to guidance on surviving war and prolonged power outages, European governments are encouraging citizens to prepare for disruptions that extend beyond conventional natural disasters.

Across Europe, governments are increasingly asking citizens to take responsibility for their own preparedness in the event of a major crisis. Whether the threat comes from military conflict, extreme weather, cyberattacks or prolonged disruption to essential services, the message is becoming consistent: households should be ready to manage without immediate external assistance.

A September 22, 2026, report by Aliss Higham for Newsweek maps the growing number of European countries introducing or updating national emergency-preparedness guidance. Ireland is among the latest to expand its public-awareness efforts, with its government launching the Be Emergency Ready campaign in August and distributing approximately 2.2 million preparedness booklets to households from late September.