> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.therisk.global/organization/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.therisk.global/organization/use-by/disaster-and-civil-protection-agencies.md). # Disaster and civil protection agencies How national and subnational disaster-management, civil-protection and hydrometeorological agencies can use the Nexus programme: anticipatory-action preparedness, warning and trigger verification, cas **Where this fits.** Audience: national and subnational disaster-management and civil-protection authorities, hydrometeorological and geological services, humanitarian preparedness teams. Sectors: all six, starting from the hazard and following the cascade. Pillars: Labs (forecast and trigger methods), Foundry (scenarios and the operating picture), Universe (exercises), Standards (shared warning and response records), Academy (responders). Offerings: O05, O02, O06. Kind: audience guide. ## In brief Disaster agencies are asked to warn everyone in time, to act before a forecast hazard becomes a disaster, and to keep essential services running when it does. A flood takes out substations, pumping stations and clinic access together; drinking water fails when power does. The programme offers preparedness work that follows that coupling: verification of forecasts and triggers, scenario packages of cascading impacts, and controlled exercises in which every message is marked as a simulation and stop-work controls apply. Warning candidates and draft activation packages stay separate from official issuance and dispatch, which remain with the authorities. The programme is not an emergency-dispatch service. ## What disaster agencies are trying to do | Task | Framework | What it asks for | | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Reduce disaster losses and service disruption | Sendai Framework ([UN General Assembly, 2015](https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030)) | Targets on damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services (d) and on early warning and risk information (g); preparedness for effective response (Priority 4) | | Warn everyone in time | Early Warnings for All ([United Nations, 2022](https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/early-warnings-for-all)) | Risk knowledge; detection, observation, monitoring and forecasting; dissemination and communication; preparedness and response | | Act early | *Adapt Now* ([Global Commission on Adaptation, 2019](https://gca.org/reports/adapt-now-a-global-call-for-leadership-on-climate-resilience/)) | "Just 24 hours warning of a coming storm or heat wave can cut the ensuing damage by 30 percent" | | Plan for compound and cascading events | IPCC AR6 Working Group II ([IPCC, 2022](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/)); Pescaroli and Alexander ([2018](https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13128)) | Risks that combine and cascade across sectors and regions, beyond single-hazard planning | | Keep services running | ISO 22301 ([ISO, 2019](https://www.iso.org/standard/75106.html)); OECD critical-infrastructure resilience ([OECD, 2019](https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/good-governance-for-critical-infrastructure-resilience_02f0e5a0-en.html)) | Continuity management and shared responsibility between authorities and operators | | Exercise the plan | WHO Simulation Exercise Manual ([WHO, 2017](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-WHE-CPI-2017.10)) | Exercises with direction, control and evaluation kept apart | ## What the programme offers | Need | What the programme provides | Where in the programme | | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Know how the hazard will cascade | The six-sector model and its scenarios: urban flood, heatwave, drought, grid blackout, coastal storm surge and others, with the sectors hit first and those reached through the coupling | [The Model](/organization/model.md) | | Preparedness gaps | Preparedness gap analysis, scenario package, warning and trigger verification, exercise observations, improvement plan, competent-authority handoffs | O05 | | Essential services under stress | Sector dependency atlas, service-continuity options and residual uncertainties for utilities and operators | O02 | | Hazards that cross borders | Shared-system profiles and cross-border scenarios | O06 | | Controlled exercises | The annual [Nexus Universe](/organization/programme/universe.md) programme: a mission admitted at gate G1, a controlled Action Week, a planned stand-down, an after-action review; independent evaluators who did not design the scenario | O09; [Nexus Universe at GRF](https://globalriskforum.com/nexus-universe/) | | Shared warning and response records | Open standards so agencies on different systems can exchange alerts, assets and outcomes | [Nexus Standards](/organization/institutions/nexus-standards.md) | | Responders | Free courses for emergency and utility operators | [Risk Academy](/organization/institutions/risk-academy.md) | Under the [National Working Groups](/organization/governance-in-operation/nwg.md) sit six domain response teams, the CERTs (WCERT, ECERT, FCERT, HCERT, BCERT and CCERT). They support preparedness, observation, verification, mapping, exercises, evidence and learning in their domains; interest, qualification, readiness, activation request, authorised support, recovery and demobilisation are distinct states. "They are not emergency services, incident command or privileged network-access teams" ([Working groups](https://therisk.global/consortium/national/nwg/)). ## Routes that apply The Nexus Consortium model sets a route for each kind of participant: the action that opens it, the first outcome, the offerings that apply, and a boundary, quoted here as published ([How Nexus Consortium works](https://therisk.global/consortium/)). | Participant | Action | First outcome | Offerings | Boundary | | ---------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Humanitarian organisations and preparedness teams | Scope preparedness, an exercise or authorised support | An approved scope, evidence package, improvement plan and the correct receiver. | O05 Multi-Hazard and Anticipatory-Action Preparedness; O06 Cross-Border and Shared-System Missions; O09 Annual Universe Missions and Contributed Infrastructure | "Simulation messages are never delivered as official warnings." | | Sector ministries, regulators and statutory agencies | Discuss a mandate-specific technical programme | A domain work brief, evidence requirements and agreed review and receiver responsibilities. | O02 Sector and Critical-Infrastructure Resilience; O05 Multi-Hazard and Anticipatory-Action Preparedness; O07 Finance, Insurance and Development Readiness | "Regulator participation confers no regulatory approval or privileged access." | | Statistics, hydrometeorology and geological agencies | Agree a source and methods interface | A versioned source agreement, schema mapping and refresh and correction protocol. | O01 National Risk, Innovation and Portfolio Baseline; O05 Multi-Hazard and Anticipatory-Action Preparedness; O10 Research, Publications and Evidence Services | "Original source authority is retained; Nexus estimates stay labelled as estimates." | ## Entry route * [Early warning and anticipatory action](https://therisk.global/programmes/early-warning/) on the GCRI site * [Nexus Universe at GRF](https://globalriskforum.com/nexus-universe/) for the annual exercise programme * [National Nexus](https://therisk.global/consortium/national/) for a country programme ## What the programme does not do Simulation messages are never delivered as official warnings. Official issuance of warnings, dispatch and incident command stay with the authorised parties. Exercises carry no live actuation, incident command or warning authority, and participation gives the programme no control of operational technology. Original source authority is retained: an agency's data stay its data, and programme estimates stay labelled as estimates. In immediate danger, contact the local emergency services. ## Status today The programme is in formation, at service level R0: information and enquiries. No exercise of the Nexus Universe programme is recorded as held ([Programme status](https://therisk.global/consortium/programme-status/)). ## Sources * Global Commission on Adaptation (2019). *Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience*. * IPCC (2022). *Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability*. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * ISO (2019). *ISO 22301:2019 Security and resilience — Business continuity management systems — Requirements*. * OECD (2019). *Good Governance for Critical Infrastructure Resilience*. Paris: OECD Publishing. * Pescaroli, G. and Alexander, D. (2018). Understanding compound, interconnected, interacting, and cascading risks: a holistic framework. *Risk Analysis* 38(11): 2245–2257. * UN General Assembly (2015). *Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030*. A/RES/69/283. * United Nations (2022). *Early Warnings for All*. * World Health Organization (2017). *WHO Simulation Exercise Manual*. Geneva: WHO. * The [Sources library](/organization/reference/sources.md) holds the full entries. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.therisk.global/organization/use-by/disaster-and-civil-protection-agencies.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.