Australia: Safest Haven

Australia has been identified as the safest place on Earth from global catastrophe, according to a new study published on August 23 in the journal Global Challenges. The study analyzed various disciplines to identify potential global catastrophic risks and characteristics that make countries more resilient.

The researchers, including Florian Ulrich Jehn from FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany, identified three broad types of risk: events that block out sunlight, events that destroy global infrastructure, and biological hazards. These events would have significant and long-lasting global consequences, including global famine from crops failing and trade networks falling apart.

Wealthier countries and regions with a strong industrial base that are not highly reliant on global trade are better able to weather global disasters. Large islands also have an advantage over continents in terms of resilience to global catastrophic risks. The study found that Australia's unique combination of these factors makes it the most resilient country to global disasters.

## Why it matters Global catastrophic risks are events that would kill more than 10% of the global population over several months or years. While these events are unlikely, they are still possible and would have devastating consequences. The study's findings highlight the importance of considering resilience to global catastrophic risks in disaster planning and preparedness. By understanding which countries are most vulnerable to these risks, governments and international organizations can better prepare for and respond to global disasters.

The study's results are based on an analysis of studies across various disciplines, including food security, biological weapons, and volcanism. The researchers brought in subject experts to add discipline-specific papers to their database, providing a comprehensive understanding of the risks and factors that contribute to resilience. The study's findings have significant implications for global disaster planning and preparedness, and highlight the importance of considering resilience to global catastrophic risks in national and international policy.