The UK government is preparing a national resilience campaign that will advise households to stock up on basic supplies such as tinned food and bottled water to cope with national emergencies, according to sources cited by The Guardian.
The initiative, being developed by the Cabinet Office, will set out practical steps people can take to prepare for a range of disruptive events, including extreme weather driven by the climate crisis and potential attacks from hostile states. Sources said the guidance will encourage individuals and families to maintain a small emergency store of essentials.
Officials say the aim of the campaign is to ensure that more people are able to manage short-term disruption independently, freeing up public services and emergency resources so they can concentrate on those most in need. The government frames the move as a way of strengthening national resilience in the face of increasingly complex risks.
The proposal comes amid growing concern about the domestic impacts of climate-driven extreme weather and heightened geopolitical tensions. Critics may question whether urging households to prepare shifts responsibility for emergency planning away from the state, while supporters argue that individual preparedness complements official contingency arrangements.
Details on the timing, scope and specific advice of the campaign were not immediately available. The Cabinet Office has not published formal guidance at this stage and it is unclear how the campaign will be communicated to the public or integrated with existing emergency planning.