Summary: This book focuses on the challenges facing governments and communities in preparing for and responding to major crises — especially the hard to predict yet unavoidable natural disasters ranging from earthquakes and tsunamis to floods and bushfires, as well as pandemics and global economic crises.


Future-proofing the state and our societies involves decision-makers developing&nbsp;capacities to learn from recent ‘disaster’ experiences in order to be better placed&nbsp;to anticipate and prepare for foreseeable challenges. To undertake such futureproofing&nbsp;means taking long-term (and often recurring) problems seriously, managing&nbsp;risks appropriately, investing in preparedness, prevention and mitigation, reducing&nbsp;future vulnerability, building resilience in communities and institutions, and cultivating&nbsp;astute leadership. In the past we have often heard calls for ‘better future-proofing’&nbsp;in the aftermath of disasters, but then neglected the imperatives of the message.

Future-Proofing the State is organised around four key themes: how can we better&nbsp;predict and manage the future; how can we transform the short-term thinking&nbsp;shaped by our political cycles into more effective long-term planning; how can we&nbsp;build learning into our preparations for future policies and management; and how&nbsp;can we successfully build trust and community resilience to meet future challenges&nbsp;more adequately